Cultural attractions,shopping places and dinner shows in Istanbul.
Hi,
Istanbul is a brilliant place to go to! The city is so multi-layered that one doesn't know what to expect. Maybe the fact that it rests in Europe as well as in Asia is a clue to the diversity that the city holds. The city has so much to offer, ranging from important historic buildings to new art galleries and museums that it is difficult for a tourist to cover the whole city in a short trip.
(Source: Kıvanç Niş)
Istanbul is historically a very rich city. Here you will find many famous monuments, religious buildings and historic sites which narrates the art and culture of the city. Keeping your area of interest in mind I've listed a few suggestions. I hope you will like them!
Türkish Teatime (Source: Martin Fisch)
Modern art museum is the only museum in Istanbul that houses a collection of modern Turkish art. The museum was started in December 2004 by Eczacibasi family.Here you will get extensive information on modern Tukish arts.
"The gallery compares to any top rate modern art museum in Europe or North America, from an 'interesting, engaging' art perspective and features a number of (lesser known to non-Turks) Turkish (and world) artists from the 1960s to present."
(Source: U.S.News Travel)
Turkish Arts (Source: Patrick)
Address:Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi, Liman Isletmeleri Sahasi 305, Antrepo No: 4
Istanbul Province, Turkey
Tel: +90 212 334 73 00
Entry Fee:4$ and free for children
Opening hours:Open daily between 10:00-18:00 except Mondays.
The Blue Mosque, built by Sultan Ahmet I is considered to be one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. What makes this piece of architecture outstanding is the intricate blue designs in the interior of the mosque. The mosque features six minarets which is rarely found in anywhere else in the world.
The mosques architect, Mehmet Aga, who had trained with Sinan, managed to orchestrate the sort of visual wham-bam effect with the mosques exterior that Aya Sofya achieved with its interior. Its curves are voluptuous, it has more minarets than any other Istanbul mosque (in fact, there was consternation at the time of its construction that the sultan was being irreverent in specifying six minarets the only equivalent being in Mecca) and the courtyard is the biggest of all the Ottoman mosques. The interior is conceived on a similarly grand scale: the blue tiles that give the building its unofficial name number in the tens of thousands, there are 260 windows and the central prayer space is huge. No wonder its picture graces a million postcards!
(Source: Lonely Planet)
(Source: Andrew E. Larsen)
Address:Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey
Tel: +90 212 518 1319
Entry Fee:Free
Opening Hours:Daily 9am-6pm except during prayer times (about 30 min. five times a day) and midday on Fridays
Note:Modest dress is required for both men and women; women must cover their heads
The Topkapi Palace was the ruling seat of the Ottomans for over 500 years and is an absolute must-see.Sultan Mehmet II had this palace constructed just after he conquered Constantinople in 1453.The Ottoman sultans resided in this palace till 19th century.I suggest you hire a guide so that you can learn a lot about the palace.This palace is a good specimen of amazing Turkish architecture.
Topkapi Palace was the primary residence of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire for some 400 years. Construction began in 1459, and it was renovated many times over the years, eventually able to house some 4000 people, and becoming its own self-contained city with mosques, bakeries, hospital, and a library. When the Ottoman Empire ended, the Palace became a museum, which is very popular due to its amazing collection, including the Prophet Muhammad's cloak and sword.
(Source:VirtualTourist)
(Source: Patrick G)
Address: Binbirdirek Mh., Terzihane Sk 7, 34122 Istanbul Province, Turkey
Tel:+90 212 512 0480
Entry Fee:Entry to the palace is 11$ and for 8$ more, you can see the treasury and the harem.
Opening Hours:9am-5pm Wed-Mon, 9am-5pm Wed-Mon
You have already specified that you want to indulge yourself tasting some of the authentic Turkish food.Seeing your love for food I would suggest that when you are in Istanbul do not miss out on an amazing four hour Turkish dinner along with the dance show by the belly dancers.The speciality of this tour is that you can splurge on a multi-course dinner while enjoying live music and exotic floor show by the Anatolian folklore group.
We enjoyed the show very much. The food was surprisingly good and the dancers/entertainers kept our interest.Better than I expected. Food was tasty and so was the entertainment. I would recommend this for those who want to taste the local cuisine and the local dances.
Istanbul by Night: Turkish Dinner and Show Reviews (Source: Viator.com)
(Source: Meng He)
Address: Istanbul, Turkey
Ticket price: 81$ for adults and 60$ for children.Book here!
Check all details about the cruise here.
Istanbul is a shopper's paradise if you know where to go and - to a certain extent - how to haggle. Some things that you could pick up are rugs or carpets, leather items, gold and silver, traditional white copper and antiques.
(Source: Jorge Dalmau)
If you are good in the art of bargaining then head over to one of the largest covered markets in the world, Grand Bazar.This commercial area covers over 4000 shops along with restaurants, mosques, inns, gates, streets and private marketplaces.Its a huge market and you can shop anything from jewellery to hand-painted ceramics, carpets, embroideries and spices.
The bazaar is the heart of the city in much more than a geographical sense and has been so for centuries. With over 4000 shops and several kilometres of lanes, as well as mosques, banks, police stations, restaurants and workshops, its a covered city all of its own. Though there is no doubt that it's a tourist trap par excellence, it's also a place where business deals are done between locals, and where import/export businesses flourish. And it also functions as the nucleus of a large commercial neighbourhood, with most of the surrounding streets catering to every conceivable local shopping need.
Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey (Source: Lonely Planet)
Grand Bazaar , Istanbul, Turkey (Source: Jimmy Baikovicius)
Address: Bazar district, Istanbul, Turkey
Opening Hours:Monday to Saturday 9:00 - 19:00. Closed Sundays and bank holidays.
Also known as the Spice Bazaar, the Egyptian Bazaar is an indoor market selling items like spices, nuts, honey, figs, lokum (Turkish Delight) and dried fruits.
T3 (Source: T3)
This bazaar has the same feel as the Grand Bazaar. Only difference is that it specializes in spices. You will not find these spices at the Grand Bazaar so if you are looking to load up on spices do it here.
The place is not that big, so you really only need half an hour to go through it, but if you plan to buy some things, then perhaps up to an hour is good.
Reviews of Egyptian Bazaar (Source: TripAdvisor)
Address: opposite Galata Bridge, Istanbul, Turkey
Opening Hours:Open all days 8.30AM to 6.30PM.
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If you love art and are passionate about it ,then Turkish & Islamic Art Museum is a place that must be visited when traveling to Istanbul.Conveniently located in Sultanahmet this art gallery offers a huge collection of Turkish and Islamic arts such as ceramics, miniatures, calligraphy, textiles, woodwork, stonework, metalwork, carpets etc.This is a perfect destination for you if you want to learn more about the Turkish art and culture.
(Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts) (Source: TripAdvisor)
(Source: Patrick)
Address: Ibrahim Pasa Sarayi (Palace) ,At Meydani No.46, Sultanahmet
Tel: +90 212 5181805
Entry Fee:5.6$ per person
Opening Hours:Open daily between 09:30 - 16:30 except Mondays.