Counted among the world’s finest cities like New York, London and Paris, Istanbul is rich in history, local art & architecture (it has some of the world’s best architectural marvels). The city is full of world class attractions – almost all of which branch out from its long interesting history and heritage. Treat to the eyes, the place’s history can still be seen and felt as you walk down the city’s beautiful streets dotted with ancient architectural wonders. Paying a visit to Istanbul’s historical places is more or less like a walk into the past. You won’t be disappointed by the cuisines and art either.
Though people spend 3, 4 or 5 days exploring Istanbul (even a week or a month), if you have only 24 hours, we totally understand. People going on road trips from Istanbul usually spend a day in the city before moving on to the next destination. We are listing a few Istanbul attractions that you can cover easily in a day. Though Istanbul has a good public transport, it will be better to rent a car as it will help save time.
Spend a perfect day in Istanbul with this simple itinerary
01 Start your day tour at the Blue Mosque
Built in 1609, The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is Istanbul’s most famous attraction whose minarets & dome can be easily seen from the various parts of Istanbul.
- It is interesting to note that this iconic mosque is not at all blue — at least, not on the outside. It is called Blue Mosque because its huge dome ceiling is covered with over 20,000 blue Iznik tiles.
- When it was built in the beginning of the 17th Century, it had six minarets instead of four. It was against the usual practice and hence was a source of a big uproar.
02 Next on the list is Hagia Sophia
Another famous attraction of Istanbul — Hagia Sophia sits across from Blue Mosque on the Sultanahmet Square. It has an entry fee.
- The building was originally built in the 6th Century as an Orthodox Church & over the years was used as a Catholic Cathedral and a mosque.
- Now a museum, Haga Sophia’s main attractions are its biblical mosaics and the dome (added by the Christians) & the chandeliers and the Arabic calligraphy (added by the Muslims in 1453).
03 Walk through the oldest bazar of its kind in the world
A visit to the Grand Bazar is a must if you want to witness the city’s colorful culture & experience the best of the local food and tea – great place to grab something for lunch!
- Grand Bazar is the world’s oldest & largest covered-market in the world. Spread over an area of 30,700 square meters, it has 4000 shops and 64 streets.
- It is said that it started as a trading post between Europe and Asia in the 15th Century and experiences a footfall of 25000 visitors a day.
04 After lunch, head towards Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace was once the main residence of the royal family of the Ottoman Empire. Built by Sultan Mehmet II between 1466 and 1478, it was inhabited by the Ottoman Sultans for more than 400 years from the 15th Century to early 19th Century.
- It is now a museum and people can see almost every part of the palace for a fee including the biggest rooms & Sultan’s Harem where Sultan’s mother, wives and 300 or so concubines used to live.
- At its peak, the palace was home to 4000 people with their mosques and hospitals.
05 Learn more about Lisbon’s History at Basilica Cistern
We know that a Cistern is not one’s usual idea of a tourist attraction, but it is worth a visit. Built in 552 AD for Byzantine Emperor Justinian, it is of great importance historically; it was restored in 1985.
- The cistern is as big as a cathedral and has 336 stone columns. It used to store 80,000 cubic meters of water which was sent to the nearby palaces using 20km of aqueducts.
- It was abandoned when the emperors relocated. It was lost to the world for centuries until 1545 when it was rediscovered.
06 End your day with amazing sunset-views at Galata Bridge
Built in 1992, this bridge links the Sultanahmet and the modern Beyoglu area. It is a great place to enjoy a peaceful sunset.
- The bridge was built on a site of three older bridges
- It has 2 levels; the first one is for traffic and trams, while the second level is dedicated to cafes and restaurants — a great place to spend a lazy evening while observing fishermen and ferries as the light dwindles.
Pick the day of the trip carefully
- The Hagia Sophia is not opened to public on Mondays
- Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays.
- Thursdays is the best day: All major attractions & museums are open
- Fridays: The Blue Mosque is not open until the end of the Friday Noon Service
- On Sundays, the Grand Bazaar remains closed.