Straddling two continents, Istanbul has been a sprawling, cosmopolitan city and vital commercial hub since the days it was called Byzantium. Ruled by the Greeks, Romans, Venetians and then Ottomans, the city blends the ancient, historical and modern as effortlessly as it does different cultures and religions.
You’ll find monumental houses of worship, including the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, as well as a contemporary fashion scene that sets the tone for most of the Middle East and North Africa. You can also while away your days wandering through the maze-like streets and sipping Turkish coffee, watching the world bustle by.
Sultanahmet: The Old City of Istanbul
Located on the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait, Sultanahmet is the historic hub of Istanbul and crammed full of monumental sites like Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. Because they’re all grouped on the central Sultanahmet Square, many visitors tear through the big three in one day, but I think that’s a disservice to both the city and yourself. There’s only so much beauty you can absorb in one day before you’re stunned into numbness.
Instead, I prefer to space them out over three or even five days, while also seeing the city’s less-iconic sights. A driver and guide can help you navigate the heavy traffic here and throughout the city, as well as provide context.
Built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian, the Hagia Sophia was once the nexus of the latter-day Roman Empire and its central dome represents a radical departure from the classical rectangular Roman basilica. The new style represented a new take on Christianity — this was the first ever Greek Orthodox Patriarchal cathedral. It was converted into a mosque by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453 and then into a museum in the early part of the 20th century — a microcosm of the country’s own history.
It’s a dazzling feat of engineering, an improbably massive dome suspended on seemingly slender supports. The rising walls are pierced by windows, filling the airy interior with light. But the abstract genius of its engineering was hard for me to appreciate the first time I stood inside and saw the soaring complexity and grandeur of the space.
The walls are clad in richly veined marble and decorated with glittering gold mosaics of swirling acanthus leaves and six-winged angels. The stone patterns on the floor and the constant echo of sounds through the domes gives the whole building a sense of movement and liveliness that seems wholly incongruous with its mountainous size.
Nearby, Topkapi Palace stands on a hill overlooking the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn — Sultan Mehmed II chose the commanding position for its strategic and symbolic importance when he began construction in 1465. This was the opulent heart of the Ottoman Empire for four centuries, where the wealthiest sultans lived at the empire’s peak. It’s long been the setting for fervid (often ill-informed) fantasies, from the odalisques of the Romantic painters to today’s endless Turkish historical TV dramas.
The reality is more beguiling than any story, however. The palace complex is sprawling (and often busy), so plan to spend at least half a day here, gaping at the grandiose architecture, lingering over the Chinese porcelain collection in the kitchens and admiring the richly embroidered robes at the Palace Clothing Exhibition. One of the most intriguing stops is the harem, which offers a glimpse into the intensely private world of the sultan’s wives and concubines.
Most visitors to Topkapi overlook the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, located on the palace grounds, but I think they’re entirely worth your time. Three different buildings are tightly packed with treasures from around the world, a collection that includes tiles from the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, gold necklaces unearthed in Troy and the bas-relief sarcophagus of Alexander the Great. There’s also a display that lays out a comprehensive history of the city.
