Meeting point of Bosphorus and Golden Horn

Facing St. Sophia stands the supremely elegant, six-minaret, imperial Sultanahmet Mosque. Built between 1609 and 1616 by the architect Mehmet, the building is more familiarly known as the Blue Mosque because its interior gleams with a magnificient paneling of blue and white Iznik tiles. During the summer months an evening light and sound show both entertain and inform.

The cascading domes and four slender minarets of Suleymaniye Mosque dominate the skyline on the Golden Horn's west bank. Considered the most beautiful of all imperial mosques in Istanbul,it was built between 1550 and 1557 by Sinan, the renowned architect of the Ottoman golden age. On the crest of a hill, the building is conspicuous by its great size, which the minarets that rise from each corner of the courtyard emphasize.

Hagia Sophia

Suleymaniye Mosque

Inside, the mihrab (prayer niche) and the mimber (pulpit) are of finely carved white marble; fine stained glass windows color the incoming streams of light. It was in the gardens of this complex that Suleyman and his wife Hurrem Sultan, Roxelane, had their mausolea built, and near here also that Sinan built his own tomb. The mosque complex also includes four medrese, or theological schools, a school of medicine, a caravanserai, a Turkish bath, and a kitchen and hospice for the poor.

Another skillful accomplishment of the architect Sinan, the Rustem Pasha Mosque was built in 1561 on the order of Rustem Pasha, Grand Vizier and son-in-law of Suleyman the Magnificient. Exquisite Iznik tiles panel the small and superbly proportioned interior. The imperial Fatih Mosque, constructed between 1463 and 1470, bears the name of the Ottaman conquerer of Istanbul, Fatih Sultan Mehmet, and is the site of his mausoleum. Standing atop another of Istanbul's hills,its vast size and great complex of religious buildings,medreses,hospices, baths, a hospital, a caravanserai and a library, make it well worth a visit.

Sultanahmet Mosque

The great Mosque of Eyup lies outside the city walls, near the Golden Horn, at the supposed place where Eyup , the standard bearer of the Prophet Mohammed, died in the Islamic assault on Constantinople in 670 A.D. The first mosque built after the Ottoman conquest of the city, this greatly venerated shrine attracts many pilgrims.
Built between 1597 and 1663, the Yeni (New) Mosque hovers over the harbor at Eminonu,greeting the incoming ferryboats
and welcoming tourists to the old city. Today its graceful domes and arches shelter hundreds of pigeons who make this area their home. Marvellous Iznik tiles decorate the Sultan's balcony.

GALATA TOWER

The tower was built in 1348 for protection at the northernmost point of the Genovese walls. At that time it was called the ``tower of Jesus". Once it was used as a prison for a period in the Ottoman times. In the 17th century during the reign of Murat IV, Hezarfen Ahmet Chelebi flew from this tower on self-made wings and landed in Uskudar on the opposite shore of the Bosphorus.

BOSPHORUS

During the Byzantine period, when the villages along the Bosphorus strait had no roads linking them to each other, the people earned their living from fishing and gardening. The Ottoman sultans later had several palaces and villas built on these shores.

European side: Dolmabahce Palace with its eclectic structure reflecting western architectural styles, was built on the Bosphorus in the19th century. Next is the Besiktas area where stands the statue and tomb of Captain Barbaros Hayrettin in front of the Naval Museum and near the Museum of Fine Arts. On this side of the Bosphorus are many buildings by the Balyan family of architects, the most significant of which is the Chiragan Palace.This palace suffered great damage by fire in the late 19th century and lay in ruin until recently when it was restored and made into a hotel. The seaside gateway of the Yildiz Palace and Gardens is also here.

Further along the shore are the Feriye palaces, then Ortakoy Square and Ortakoy mosque, an attractive location where one feels the texture of the city at its best. Next, passing under the great columns of the Bosphorus Bridge, you pass by Kurucesme, Arnavutkoy, Bebek, Rumelihisari (fortress), Emirgan, Istinye, Yenikoy, Tarabya, Kirecburnu, Buyukdere and Sariyer, finally reaching the end of the European side of the Bosphorus at Rumeli Kavagi, last point before the entrance of the Black Sea.

Asian side: Opposite Rumeli Kavagi is Anadolu Kavagi on the Asian side of the mouth of the Bosphorus. South along the shore past Yusa Hill is Beykoz. Though it is quite a distance from city center, Istanbul residents usually go to eat the best fish at Beykoz. Next is Pasabahche famous for its glass and bottle factories as well as liquor factories of the state monopoly.
After Pasabahce are Chubuklu and Anadoluhisar (Anatolian Fortress) famed for the good quality of clay on the shores of the Goksu and Kucuksu, freshwater rivers that flow into the Bosphorus.

Hence the development of pottery making in the area. Next is a bay between Vanikoy and Cengelkoy where stands the Kuleli Military Academy. After Chengelkoy comes Beylerbeyi and its famous Beylerbeyi Palace.
Coming to the sea just past Kuzguncuk is today's Uskudar, known in Byzantine times as the "Golden City." Today this neighborhood is adorned with the Mihrimah, the Semsi Pasha and Yeni Valide mosques built by the great architect Sinan, and the famous Selimiye barracks. At the meeting point of Kadikoy and Uskudar stands the Haydarpasa Railway Station, last train stop in Asia. Kadikoy (ancient Calchedon) is one of the oldest inhabited districts of the city. Today it has luxury bayside neighborhoods, including Moda and Fenerbahce.


MISIR BAZAAR
The bazaar, that have been built connected to the Yenicami complex, takes its name from the source of the spices in old times.. The merchants of this colorful old covered market, also called the Spice Bazaar, sell spices, herbs, medicinals, dried fruits and a myriad of other goods in barrels and baskets. Today there are several boutiques found there.

LEANDERS TOWER

Leander (Leandros) used to swim to the opposite shore each night to reach his beloved Hera the priestess. She would wait at the shore with a torch to show him the way. But one night, the crazy wind, unaware of their love, suddenly changed in the opposite direction, causing the waves of the Bosphorus to become wilder and wilder. Hera's torch was blown out and Leander was lost forever in the waves. A lighthouse was built on the rocks to symbolize their love. The actual building was built on the reign of Mahmud II. in the 19th century and been used as a lighthouse since then.


GOLDEN HORN

An old trading point and popular shoreline residential area during the Byzantine period, it was largely inhabited by Jewish immigrants from Spain during the Ottoman period. The mixtures of Armenians, Greeks, Gypsies and Turks living along its shores reflected the city's colorful mosaic. Since 1880 the famed Cibali cigarette factory has been operating there.
In Fener is the patriarchate and mother church of the Greek Orthodox Church and nearby, the Bulgarian Church, built of cast iron in the neo-gothic style.
At the far end of the Golden Horn is the Eyup neighborhood and Eyup Sultan Mosque, the most famous monument of these shores which has drawn countless Muslim pilgrims since the day it was built. On the cliffs above the mosque is the teahouse of Pierre Loti which offers the city's finest view of the Golden Horn



TURKISH BATHS


A Turkish bath (hamam) is on the itinerary of most visitors to Istanbul. The baths are open to men and women at different hours of the day. Traditionally these baths with their marble floors and basins have been a part of daily life in Turkey. The different units are kept at different temperatures. The center stones are slabs where you can sweat. The personnel, tellak for men and natir for women, will massage the skin with a roul silk cloth (kese).


THE GRAND BAZAAR

The Grand Bazaar consists of 4,000 shops on a series of covered streets leading to a central avenue. The oldest sections are the Sandal Bedesten (cloth auction) and Cevahir Bedesten (jewelry market).
The streets are named according to the trades, such as gold and silver sellers, carpet sellers, slipper sellers, bootsellers, booksellers, pursemakers, etc. The most oriental atmosphere in Istanbul is found in the bazaar, which also houses many good restaurants and cafes.