48 Sights in İstanbul, Turkey (with Map and Images)
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Welcome to your journey through the most beautiful sights in İstanbul, Turkey! Whether you want to discover the city's historical treasures or experience its modern highlights, you'll find everything your heart desires here. Be inspired by our selection and plan your unforgettable adventure in İstanbul. Dive into the diversity of this fascinating city and discover everything it has to offer.
Sightseeing Tours in İstanbulActivities in İstanbul
The Kadıköy bull statue is a statue of a bull installed in Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey. The bull has become a mascot for the neighborhood. It was ordered by Abdülaziz in 1864 and created by French artist Rouillard in Paris. The statue has been in its current location on Altıyol Square since 1987.
2. Dolmabahçe Palace
Dolmabahçe Palace located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European coast of the Bosporus strait, served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1887 and from 1909 to 1922.
3. Galata Dervish House Museum
Galata Mevlevi Lodge, also known as Kulekapı Mevlevi Lodge, is a former Mevlevi lodge located in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey. Today, it operates as a museum under the name of Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum.
4. Yıldız Palace
Yıldız Palace is a vast complex of former imperial Ottoman pavilions and villas in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey, built in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was used as a residence by the sultan and his court in the late 19th century.
5. Arnavutköy
Arnavutköy is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Beşiktaş, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its population is 3,574 (2022). It is renowned for its wooden Ottoman mansions and seafood restaurants, as well as for the campus of the prestigious Robert College with its historic buildings. It is part of the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, and is located between Ortaköy and Bebek on the European shoreline of the Bosphorus strait.
6. Church of Saint Anthony of Padua
The Church of St. Anthony of Padua, alternatively known as Sant'Antonio di Padova Church or S. Antonio di Padova, is the largest Catholic church in Istanbul, Turkey. It is located on İstiklal Avenue in the Beyoğlu district.
7. Saint Esprit Katedrali
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, alternatively known as the St. Esprit Cathedral, located on Cumhuriyet Avenue 127/A, in the quarter of Pangaltı in Şişli district, the former Harbiye, between Taksim Square and Nişantaşı, is one of the main Catholic churches in Istanbul, Turkey. This 19th century cathedral is behind the walls of the French Notre Dame de Sion high school. While walking from Taksim towards Harbiye, some may notice a door with metal bars leading to the school's courtyard beyond which is a statue of Benedict XV. Past the door stands the cathedral.
8. Mihrimah Sultan Camii
The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque is a 16th century Ottoman mosque overlooking the waterfront in the historic center of the Üsküdar district of Istanbul, Turkey. One of Üsküdar's best-known landmarks, it takes its alternative name from the ferry terminal near which it stands. Before the coast road was built, the mosque would have stood right beside the water, accessible by boat.
9. Çiçek Pasajı
Çiçek Pasajı, originally called the Cité de Péra, is a famous historic passage on İstiklal Avenue in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey. A covered arcade with rows of historic cafes, winehouses and restaurants, it connects İstiklal Avenue with Sahne Street and has a side entrance opening onto the Balık Pazarı.
10. Dolmabahçe Mosque
The Dolmabahçe Mosque is a baroque waterside mosque in Kabataş in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey, close to the Dolmabahçe Palace. It was commissioned by Queen Mother Bezmialem Valide Sultan and designed by the Turkish Armenian architect, Garabet Balyan in 1855. After his mother's death, Sultan Abdülmecid saw the building work through to completion.
11. Tokatlıyan Hotel (Beyoğlu)
The Tokatlıyan Hotels, founded by Meguerditch Tokatliyan, were two prominent luxury hotels located in Istanbul. Many famous individuals such as Leon Trotsky and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk stayed in one or other of them. They were among the first European-style hotels to be built in Turkey.
12. Military Museum
Istanbul Military Museum is dedicated to one thousand years of Turkish military history. It is one of the leading museums of its kind in the world. The museum is open to the public everyday except on Mondays.
13. Süreyya Opera
Süreyya Opera House, also called Süreyya Cultural Center, is an opera hall located at Gen. Asım Gündüz Avenue No: 29, in the Bahariye quarter of the Kadıköy district in Istanbul, Turkey. The building was designed by Ottoman Armenian architect Kegham Kavafyan by the order of a Deputy for Istanbul, Süreyya İlmen. It was originally established in 1927 as the first musical theatre on the Anatolian part of Istanbul. However, due to the lack of appropriate facilities and equipment at the theatre, operettas weren't staged until 2007. The venue was rather used as a movie theatre until the building underwent a functional restoration and reopened as an opera house on December 14, 2007.
14. Miniatürk
Miniatürk is a miniature park at the northeastern shore of Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey. It opened May 2, 2003. It is one of the world's largest miniature parks, with a 15,000 m2 (160,000 sq ft) model area and total area of 60,000 square metres (650,000 sq ft). It contains 135 models, in 1:25 scale, of structures from in and around Turkey, and interpretations of historic structures.
15. Fikret Mualla
Fikret Muallâ Saygı was a 20th-century avant-garde painter of Turkish descent. His work reflects influences from Expressionism and Fauvism, with subject matter focusing on Paris street life, social gatherings such as cafés and circuses.
16. Sadberk Hanım Museum
The Sadberk Hanım Museum is a private museum on the shores of the Bosphorus in the Büyükdere neighbourhood of Sarıyer district in Istanbul, Turkey. It was established by the Vehbi Koç Foundation in memory of Vehbi Koç’s deceased wife Sadberk. The museum is open every day except Wednesdays.
17. Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque
The Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque, also called the Yıldız Mosque, is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in Yıldız neighbourhood of Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey, on the way to Yıldız Palace. The mosque was commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II, and constructed between 1884 and 1886. The mosque was built on a rectangular plan and has one minaret. The architecture of the mosque is a combination of Neo-Gothic style and classical Ottoman motifs. A bronze colonnade erected by Abdul Hamid II in Marjeh Square of Damascus, Syria bears a replica statue of the Yıldız Mosque on top.
18. Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Açık Hava Tiyatrosu
The Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theatre is a contemporary amphitheatre located at Harbiye neighborhood of Şişli district in Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated across from the Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Center, and behind the Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus on the European side of the city.
19. The Museum of Innocence
The Museum of Innocence is a museum in a 19th-century house in Istanbul (Çukurcuma) created by novelist Orhan Pamuk as a companion to his novel The Museum of Innocence. The museum and the novel were created in tandem, centred on the stories of two Istanbul families. On 17 May 2014, the museum was announced as the winner of the 2014 European Museum of the Year Award.
Wikipedia: The Museum of Innocence (museum) (EN), Website, Website Tr, Website En
20. Ertuğrul Tekke Mosque
The Ertuğrul Tekke Mosque,, is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in Yıldız neighbourhood, Serencebey rise of Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey. A late Ottoman period mosque, it is constructed as a külliye consisting of an Ottoman takya, guest house, türbe, fountain, and library in addition to the mosque.
21. Fenerbahçe Parkı
Fenerbahçe is a park located in Kadıköy. The park, which makes up most of Fenerbahçe Island, has picnic areas, cafes and stairs leading down to the sea. The park was taken over by Çelik Gülersoy in 1990 and brought to its current form.
22. Atatürk Museum, Şişli
Atatürk Museum is a historic house museum dedicated to the life of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the first president of the Republic of Turkey. It is located in the district of Şişli, on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey.
23. Süreyya İlmen Heykeli
Ferik Süreyya Pasha İlmen is a Turkish soldier, politician and businessman. After graduating from the Military Academy, he worked for a long time in the General Staff as a staff officer. He became a general at a young age. After the proclamation of the Second Constitutional Monarchy, he made publications on military service. He contributed to the inclusion of aviation in the army. While he was the commander of the division, he left the military service and established and operated a weaving factory, cinema and opera house in Istanbul. He carried out various sports and charitable projects. In 1927, he was elected as a member of parliament from Istanbul. He ended his active political life in 1930. He established SSK Süreyyapaşa Hospital in Maltepe, Istanbul. He died on February 6, 1955.
24. Moda Sahnesi
Moda Stage is a venue that was put into service in October 2013 as a result of the transformation of the hall known as "Moda Cinema" in the Moda district of Istanbul into a cultural center and is a theater group that stages plays here.
25. Malta Kiosk
The Malta Kiosk, also known as the Malta Pavilion, is a historic imperial Ottoman residence located within the garden of the Yıldız Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. The two-storey pavilion was commissioned by Sultan Abdülaziz as a hunting lodge, designed by the architect Sarkis Balyan in the neo-baroque style and completed in 1870.
26. Ihlamur Pavilion
Ihlamur Palace, is a former imperial Ottoman summer pavilion located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was constructed during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid I (1839-1860). It is under the administration of the Turkish Directorate of National Palaces.
27. Osman Ağa Mosque
Osmanağa Mosque or Osman Ağa Mosque was replaced by 1. It was built in 1612 by Sultan Ahmet's Babussaade Agha Osman Ağa. When this mosque was destroyed over time, in 1811 2. It was renovated by Sultan Mahmut, but as a result of the fire that occurred in Kadıköy in 1878, it was also burned down, and today's mosque was built in the same year. The plane tree in the garden of the mosque was planted in 1880 by the imam of the mosque, Mehmet Asım Efendi.
28. Bayezid Ağa Camii
Bayezid Ağa Mosque or Arabacı Bayezid Ağa Mosque is a mosque in Topkapı Square in the Topkapı neighborhood of the Fatih district of Istanbul. After the conquest, it was built in 1453 by Bayezid Ağa, the Sekbanbashi of Mehmed II. The mosque, which became dilapidated and unusable over time, was rebuilt in 1954-57 with the help of the community.
29. Hemdat Israel Sinagogu
Hemdat Israel Synagogue is a synagogue founded in 1899 and located in the quarter of Haydarpaşa in Kadıköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey. Visits and participation to prayers are possible after contacting the Chief Rabbinate.
30. Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall
The Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall is a concert hall located in the Harbiye neighbourhood of Istanbul, Turkey. It is one of the country's major concert halls, being the first one designed for classical music. Named after the Turkish composer Cemal Reşit Rey (1904–1985), the hall is owned by the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul and operated by its subsidiary, the Kültür company. Opened in March 1989, it has a seating capacity of 860.
31. The Feeler
The Feeler is an outdoor sculpture, located on the Üsküdar University campus in Üsküdar, Istanbul, Turkey. Installed in front of the Altunizade Central Campus, it was commissioned in 2011. Small sized versions of the sculpture are given by the University, as awards.
32. Zühtüpaşa Mosque
Zühtü Pasha Mosque was built in 1883 by Ahmed Zühdü Pasha, who was the Minister of Education of Sultan Abdulhamid II. The walls of the mosque in Kızıltoprak are made of masonry and the dome is wooden.
33. Surp Asdvadzadzin Kilisesi
Surp Asdvadzadzin Church is an Armenian church located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey. The church, which was built in 1838 as masonry by the architect Garabed Amira Balyan, was renovated in 1987 during the reign of Armenian Patriarch Shnorhk I, and in 1993 the busts of Garabed and Sarkis Balyan were placed in its courtyard. In the church, which was renovated in 2013, Artin Dadyan Pasha is buried.
34. Saint Leon
Surp Andon Church is an Armenian Catholic church located in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. The church, which was built as a wooden chapel in 1890, was demolished with the edict dated May 14, 1905 and a masonry church was built in its place and opened for worship in 1911.
35. Bebek Parkı
Bebek Park is a public park located in the Bebek neighborhood of Besiktas, Istanbul. Following the renovation by the Sabanci Foundation, the name of the park was changed to Türkan Sabanci Bebek Park on October 13, 2008.
36. Göztepe 60. Yıl Parkı
Goztepe 60. Yıl Park is a park located in the Göztepe district of the Kadıköy district of Istanbul. It is bordered by Bağdat Street in the north and Operator Cemil Topuzlu Street in the south. It contains the Kemal Sunal Museum.
37. Ayazma Cami
The Ayazma Mosque is a mosque in the neighbourhood of Üsküdar in Istanbul, Turkey. It stands on a hillside overlooking the Bosphorus. It was commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Mustafa III and built between 1757 and 1761. It is an example of the Ottoman Baroque style that was prevalent in the 18th century.
38. Church of the Assumption
The Church of the French Church of Kadıköy or Notre-Dame de L'Assomption is a Neoclassical Catholic church located in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, Turkey. The architect of the building, which was completed in 1865, is Giovanni Battista Barborini. The language of worship in the church is French and Turkish.
39. Haldun Taner Stage
Kadıköy Haldun Taner Stage is a theatre venue located in Kadıköy district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is owned by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and operated by its City Theatres division. The theatre is named in honor of the Turkish playwright Haldun Taner (1915-1986).
40. Harbiye Muhsin Ertuğrul Theater
Harbiye Muhsin Ertuğrul Stage is a theatre venue in the Harbiye neighborhood of Şişli district in Istanbul, Turkey. It is owned by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and operated by its City Theatres division. The theatre is named in honor of the Turkish stage actor and director Muhsin Ertuğrul (1892-1979).
41. Selamiçeşme Özgürlük Parkı
Freedom Park is a park located in the Selamiçeşme district of the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, administratively within the boundaries of the Göztepe neighborhood. The park has football and basketball courts, a tennis court, a walking promenade, playgrounds for children, sports equipment for adults, a bicycle path, ornamental pools, an amphitheater, special areas for walking animals, a picnic area and a cafeteria.
42. Rakım Paşa Çeşmesi
Rakım Pasha Fountain is an Ottoman-era fountain located adjacent to the qibla wall of Ali Pertek Mosque on the coastal road in the Rumelihisarı neighborhood of Sarıyer district of Istanbul province. It is also known as the Ibrahim Efendi Fountain. Rakım Mehmed Pasha, who served as the Ottoman treasurer, Governor of Abyssinia and Egypt, had it built for the soul of his father, Defterdar İbrahim Efendi. It is made of cut mold stone. The water is flowing. During the renovation, it was covered with concrete, and its boat was replaced.
43. Cumhuriyet Çeşmesi
The Cumhuriyet Fountain is a fountain located in the Yavuz Sultan Selim neighborhood of Fatih district of Istanbul province, Ayakapı district. Its inscription is "Fountain of the Republic" and on its pediment is 341 according to the Hijri calendar. The fountain, which has a simple style, only has decorations on its boat. The marbles in the bench are broken.
44. Taksim Gezi Parkı
Gezi Park is an urban park next to Taksim Square, in Istanbul's Beyoğlu district. It is one of the last green spaces in Beyoğlu and one of the smallest parks of Istanbul. In May 2013, plans to replace the park with a reconstruction of the former Taksim Military Barracks, intended to house a shopping mall, sparked the nationwide 2013 protests in Turkey.
45. Sultan Mustafa İskele Mosque
The temple, also called the Iskele Mosque, was built by Mustafa III in 1760. Years later, it was ruined, and in 1858, Abdülmecid had it rebuilt as masonry. Although it is known that there is a Sıbyan school next to it, it no longer exists.
46. Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church
Hagia Triada is a Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul, Turkey. The building was erected in 1880 and is considered the largest Greek Orthodox shrine in Istanbul today. It is still in use by the Greek community of Istanbul. It has about 150 parishioners. The church is located in the district of Beyoğlu, in the neighborhood of Katip Çelebi, on Meşelik sokak, near Taksim Square.
Wikipedia: Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church, Istanbul (EN)
47. Müze Gazhane
Hasanpaşa Gazhanesi (also known as Froglıdere Gazhanesi or Kadıköy Gazhanesi) is a building built in Kadıköy in 1892 to supply gas to the Anatolian side of Istanbul, and is now used as a cultural center.
48. Tuğlacıbaşı Camii
Tughlaqcibasi Mosque is a mosque in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, Turkey. The mosque, which is located in the upper Feneryolu and has masonry walls and wooden roofs, was built in 1860 by Hacı Mustafa Efendi, who has brick blends in Kâğıthane. Its architect is Vasıf Efendi.
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