Istanbul - Trip Planner
Created | Updated Sep 2, 2019
I have been in Istanbul a few times (2014, 2015, 2018). Here are some things I saw, along with some things I might like to see in the future.:
| Sight | Seen in 2014? | Seen in 2015? | Seen in 2018? | Worth it? | Rating | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hagia Sophia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5 | In Top 15 Entry |
| Topkapi Palace | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | 5 | In Top 14 Entry |
| Sultan Ahmet (Blue) Mosque | Yes | No | Yes - although mainly closed | Yes | 4 | In Top 14 Entry |
| Suleymaniye Mosque | Yes | No | No | Yes | 4 | In Top 14 Entry |
| Grand and Spice Bazaars | Yes | Yes | Grand Only | Yes | 3 | In Top 14 Entry |
| The Theodosian Walls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 | In Top 14 Entry |
| The Chora Church / Museum | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 5 | In Gnomon's Guide and Edited Guide. |
| Dolmabahçe Palace | No | Yes | No | Yes | 3 | In Gnomon's Guide and Edited Guide. |
| Little Hagia Sophia | No | Yes | No | Yes | 3 | In Gnomon's Guide and Edited Guide. |
| Mosque of Rüstem Pasha | No | Yes | No | Yes | 3 | In Mimar Sinan entry in Gnomon's Guide and Edited Guide. |
| Tomb of Eyup | No | Yes | No | Maybe | 2 | |
| Archaeological Museum | No | Yes | No | No | 1 | |
| Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum | No | Yes | No | No | 1 | |
| The Column of the Goths | No | Yes | No | No | 1 | |
| Panorama 1453 | No | No | Yes | Yes | 3 | |
| Kadikoy | No | No | Yes | Yes | 2 |
Archaeological Museum - situated beside the Topkapi palace, this houses a collection of ancient remains, including a carved sarcophagus called the Alexander Sarcophagus, and one of the bronze snake heads from the Serpentine Column. This museum is listed as one of the major sights in all the guidebooks, but most of it is closed for restoration as of March 2015. The Tiled Pavilion is open and the Museum of the Ancient World, but most of the main building is closed. Just about the only bit that was open was the "archaeology of Istanbul" gallery which was interesting. As it stands I'd have to say that what is on display is not worth a visit until the restoration is finished.
Tomb of Eyup Ensari - Eyup was the standard bearer of Muhammad himself. He had fought alongside Muhammad in many campaigns. By the time Muhammad, or possibly his supporters, decided to attack Constantinople, Eyup was an old man. He exhorted the rest to attack Constantinople and to bring him with them. He then died suddenly. They led an attack on Constantinople which failed. They couldn't get through the walls and were defeated by the Byzantines' secret weapon - Greek Fire, a sort of flame thrower which sprayed their enemies with a sticky, burning liquid. They had carried Eyup's body with them, and he was buried outside the walls. When the Turks conquered Istanbul about 800 years later, they found the grave. Today his tomb is a holy site of Islam and supposedly the holiest place in Istanbul (although the treasury of Muslim relics in the Topkapi Palace must come a close second). The area around the Tomb is now called Eyup. There is a cable car which I haven't tried that brings you up to the top of Pierre Loti Hill, with a good view along the Golden Horn. The hill and the coffee shop at the top are named after a 19th-century French novelist who lived in the area. The Eyup mosque itself with the tomb of Eyup, the square in front of it, and the street of tombs are mildly interesting for non-Muslims.
Panorama 1453 - a diorama showing the Ottoman conquest of the City in 1453. This is located near the Topkapi Gate (nothing to do with the Topkapi Palace) where the Number 1 tram route passes the walls. Didn't get to see this on either visit.
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum - located in the Ibrahim Pasha Palace on the north side of the Hippodrome. - Some deadly stuff but presented in the most boring manner possible. Avoid! The basic problem with the presentation is shown in their attitude to the works on display, paraphrased here: "Because the early works were directly inspired by God, they were pretty much perfect and later artworks based on the same topics could not improve on them, only present them in a different way." It manages to dismiss some of the greatest art works of the Ottoman Empire in favour of some elegant but fairly simple art. This is on a par with the Louvre museum dismissing its own Mona Lisa as a mere doodle because it does not have the religious inspiration of the early religious art on display in other parts of the museum.
The Column of the Goths - in Gulhane Park. It's just a pillar, but possibly the oldest thing in Istanbul. Possibly dates from before Constantine made the city into the capital of the Empire. Yes, it is just a pillar. The reason for the "possibles" in this is that the inscription talks about a victory of the Roman emperor over the Goths but doesn't give a date, nor does it say which emperor. There are two such victories that fit the description, and one of them dates from before Constantine's move of the capital to Constantinople.
The Palace of the Porphyrogenitus - this is shown in the guidebooks as a shell of a building, but work has been done on it. It now has a roof and windows. Not sure what it is being used for, as it does not appear to be open to the public yet.
Things That Would be Worth Visiting in Future Visits
- Hagia Sophia - always worth a visit.
- Suleymaniye Mosque - for a bit of peace and quiet.
- The Old Roman Great Palace beside Hagia Sophia - there are some underground ruins
- The Belgrad Gate (Xylokerkos or Second Military Gate), Yedikule Castle, Golden Gate and section of Land Walls around them.
- The Romeli Castle, also known as the Fortress of Europe
- The Archaeological Museum - I saw some of it but most of it was closed for renovation. When it opens again it might be worth a visit.
