Istanbul › Places and landmarks
Places and landmarks in Istanbul
13 landmarks of Istanbul, and the streets, squares and waterways around them, each with its story and where to find it.
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Landmarks
Hagia SophiaJustinian’s great church of 537, with its dome 55 metres high: a church, then a mosque, a museum and a mosque again.
Blue MosqueThe mosque of Sultan Ahmed I, with six minarets and some twenty thousand blue tiles from İznik inside.
HippodromeThe long square where Byzantium held its chariot races, with an Egyptian obelisk and a bronze serpent column still on it.
Basilica CisternThe underground water store of Justinian, a forest of 336 columns standing in the water.
Topkapı PalaceThe palace of the Ottoman sultans for almost four hundred years, on the tip of the peninsula above the Bosphorus.
Grand BazaarOne of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, some sixty streets and four thousand shops under one roof.
Spice BazaarThe L-shaped covered market by the New Mosque, full of spices, dried fruit, tea and Turkish delight.
New MosqueThe great mosque on the water at Eminönü, begun in 1597 and finished 68 years later.
Galata BridgeThe bridge over the Golden Horn from Eminönü to Karaköy, lined with anglers on top and fish restaurants below.
Sirkeci StationThe end of the line for the Orient Express from Paris, a station of 1890 by the sea.
Column of ConstantineThe column Constantine the Great set up in 330 for the founding of his new capital, held together by iron hoops.
Also part of Istanbul
Streets, squares and waterways
The places that hold the centre of Istanbul together. Point at one to find it on the map.
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1
Hagia Sophia Ayasofya building
Justinian’s great domed church of 537, now a mosque.
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2
Blue Mosque Sultanahmet Camii building
The mosque of Ahmed I, with six minarets and blue İznik tiles.
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3
Hippodrome At Meydanı square
The old chariot track, with its obelisk and serpent column.
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4
Basilica Cistern Yerebatan Sarnıcı building
Justinian’s underground water store of 336 columns.
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5
Topkapı Palace Topkapı Sarayı building
The palace of the Ottoman sultans, on the tip of the peninsula.
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6
Soğukçeşme Sokağı street
A lane of restored wooden houses along the palace wall.
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7
Gülhane Park Gülhane Parkı park
The palace’s old outer garden, sloping down to the Bosphorus.
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8
Divan Yolu Divanyolu Caddesi street
The old imperial road from the Hagia Sophia west, with the tram.
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9
Column of Constantine Çemberlitaş building
Constantine’s porphyry column of 330, held by iron hoops.
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10
Grand Bazaar Kapalıçarşı building
Sixty covered streets and four thousand shops.
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11
Ankara Caddesi street
The street of the old newspapers, down the hill to Sirkeci.
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12
Sirkeci Station Sirkeci Garı building
The end of the line for the Orient Express.
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13
New Mosque Yeni Cami building
The great mosque on the water at Eminönü.
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14
Spice Bazaar Mısır Çarşısı building
Spices, tea and Turkish delight under long vaults.
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15
Eminönü square
The busy square and ferry quays on the Golden Horn.
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16
Galata Bridge Galata Köprüsü bridge
The bridge to Karaköy, lined with anglers.