Istanbul’s Sultanahmet neighbourhood is home to three of the city’s most famous landmarks, the Blue Mosque, the Aya Sofya and the Topkapi Palace, as well as other interesting sights. On our first visit to Istanbul, this was the district we stayed in, and on our arrival the Blue Mosque was the first thing we headed out to see.
The Blue Mosque
From our hotel it was a 10 minute walk to the Blue Mosque. The Mosque is quite the sight! We firstly took in the outside of the mosque. It’s an imposing building, it just commands your attention the way it is positioned on a high point of the city. There is a large garden area out the front, with a fountain, which adds some greenery to the space. The fountain is also a nice feature to incorporate into your photos of the Mosque.
You need to dress appropriately (including a headscarf for ladies), and take your shoes off to visit inside (as of May 2014). We were given a plastic bag to carry them around. The inside of the Mosque is really impressive. The walls are tiled around the bottom, and painted ornately further up. Our eyes were drawn to the hanging light fittings, on long wires strung all the way from the top of the massive interior. You are able to walk around a designated area, but much of the space is roped off to enable prayer.
On our second visit to Istanbul (July 2015), we were fortunate enough to be there for the end of Ramadan. We had an amazing evening outside the Mosque. The Mosque was lit up, and had additional feature lighting for Ramadan. Families had gathered in the gardens out the front of the Mosque for picnics at sunset. When the day’s fasting finished, prayers were recited through speakers mounted on the Mosque, and the families started to eat. To be amongst the sounds and colours of the mild evening was a fantastic experience.
You can find information about visiting the Blue Mosque on the Blue Mosque Sultanahmet Istanbul website.
The Aya Sofya
Not far from the Blue Mosque is the Aya Sofya. You do have to pay to visit the Aya Sofya. We found the interior more impressive than the inside of the Blue Mosque. If you only have time to see the inside of one of these iconic sights, choose the Aya Sofya.
While we were there, a large portion of the interior was under renovation, but this did not detract from how amazing the Aya Sofya is. Enormous lamps are suspended from the massively high ceilings. Giant black and gold Ottoman discs are mounted up high, matching the black and gold colouring of the huge overhead domes. Lots of black marble has been used to line the walls and for tall columns.
Make sure you take the ramp up to the second level and admire the view from a higher vantage point. From here you can get a better look at the gold mosaic pictures that line the upper walls. On the day we visited, there was also an open window with a view to the Blue Mosque. This window is another good photo opportunity. It is definitely worth reading up on the various aspects of the interior if you want to maximise your visit and your understanding of the interior.
The Topkapi Palace
The Topkapi Palace is a museum. The palace is set in lovely gardens, and has a lot to see. To get the most of your visit, you’ll need to have prepared by reading up on what is available in the many different pavilions and rooms or the Palace, or have a guide. If you are interested in the era of the Ottoman Empire, you can easily spend all day here.
The spectacular and ornately decorated buildings and lovely grounds alone make for a satisfying visit.
Highlights for us included the Treasury, for jewels and jewellery, including the 86 carat ‘Spoonmaker’s diamond’, the Cloakroom and the Armoury. The spectacular and ornately decorated buildings and lovely grounds alone make for a satisfying visit.
At the end furthest from the main entrance, the Palace grounds have a wonderful view of the city and the Bosphorus river meeting the sea. So don’t miss it.
We finished our visit with an ice cream from the ‘Kafe’ near the gates.
The Basilica Cistern
This is a something different to see in Istanbul, located not far from the Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque. The Basilica Cistern used to be the cistern for the Stoa Basilica. It was built in 532! We wanted to visit it as we thought we would rarely get an opportunity to see one as grand anywhere else.
We arrived at 8:45am to line up for the 9:00am opening. The queue was only short. Once you buy your ticket (10 Turkish Lira, May 2014) and make your descent you will be in an eerie setting, with low light and the sound of dripping water. Dozens of pillars support the vaulted brick roof, and there is still water partially filling the cistern. It was nice and cool, so this may be an ideal itinerary item for hot weather.
Explore using the Cistern’s elevated platforms. Keep an eye out for the side ways and upside down Medusa heads as part of one of the columns. It won’t take you long to visit here, but it is well worth it.
Istanbul is such an amazing city. We’ve been twice and would go again should we have the opportunity. If you have read our About Us page, you’ll know we prefer independent travel, however we did go on an organised small group tour of Turkey to maximise our trip. This tour started in Istanbul and visited Şirince (including Ephesus), Kaş, and Cappadocia, then finished in Istanbul. We maximised our time in Istanbul by staying on a few extra days to explore further on our own.
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