Rather unexpectedly, the part of Old İstanbul around Cerrahpaşa and Haseki remains completely off-the beaten-track to tourists despite being within easy walking distance…
“Vinegar-seller” For over a century as the location of İstanbul’s railway station for trains to Europe, Sirkeci was one of İstanbul’s main transport…
Named after the Ottoman sultan Beyazıd II (1447-1512) whose tomb forms part of the mosque complex he founded here, Beyazıt is the extraordinarily…
“The Conqueror” Festival: 29 May (prayers at tomb of Sultan Mehmed II) These days even Sultanahmet falls within the jurisdiction of the Fatih…
Biggest bazaar in İstanbul Opening hours: 8.30am to 7pm. Closed Sundays and first days of Ramazan and Kurban Bayramı One of the must-see…
The elder brother of opera composer Gaetano Donizetti, Italian-born Guiseppe Donizetti (1788-1856) came to Istanbul to help Sultan Mahmud II’s new professional army…
In 2013 work began on the renovation of Taksim Square. The most controversial part of the plan envisaged the rebuilding of the giant…
“Süleyman’s Place” Of all Sinan’s great designs for Constantinople the one that is usually thought of as his masterpiece is the Süleymaniye complex…
“Loyalty” Unlike so many districts of İstanbul, Vefa, which lies to the east of Atatürk BulvarI, is known not so much for a…
Cibali is the area immediately beside the Atatürk Bridge on the southern side of the Golden Horn. It’s also known as Unkapanı, a…