Most visited Monuments
- Nada Hammouch
- Apr 20, 2020
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 5, 2020
Istanbul is one of the great architectural and cultural cities of the world. Turkish palaces, mosques, museums, monuments, and hundreds of water fountains help tell the story of this old city.
Many of the mosques and other historic landmarks were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1985.
Museum Pass
Before I talk about historical monuments, I will tell you the means to make your trip easier, Istanbul's card of historical monuments
If you will visit most of the features of the card, in this case Istanbul card will save you money and time as well, because when you get the card you will visit the landmarks without waiting for the queue to buy the ticket, which can reach up to an hour or more.
Museum Pass Istanbul Card
With this card, you'll be able to discover the historical and cultural treasures of Istanbul; it’s practical and Economic for Museums’ lover
Price : 220 TL (Price can change any time)
Validity: 120 hours (5 DAYS) persistent begin with the first museum visit.
Free entrance almost all museums for foreign children 8 years old or younger.
Each card can only be used once at each museum.
Museums included on Museum Pass Istanbul:
Ayasofya Museum
Topkapi Palace Museum and Harem Apartment
Istanbul Archeology Museum
Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum
Istanbul Great Palace Mosaic Museum
Historical Museum of Technology Islamic Sciences
Kariye Museum,
Galata Mevlevi Museum
Fethiye Museum
Rumeli Fortress Museum
Museum Pass Istanbul Sales Points :
Hagia Sophia Museum
Topkapi Palace
Galata Mevlevi House
Don’t hesitate to visit the link bellow for any further information:
Hagia Sophia Museum (Ayasofya Museum)
Hagia Sophia, cathedral builds in the 6th century CE (532–537) under the direction of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I.
Turn into Mosque In The Ottoman Period under the direction of Sultan Mehmed II
This marvel of ancient architecture, considered as one of the most important historical world’s great monuments.
This historical landmark has witnessed many events that have made it reconstructed many times through the ages
Admission fee :
( Istanbul Museum Pass is valid for this museum.)
100TL
(Price can change any time)
Opening hours
Tuesday to Saturday / MONDAY OFF
Hagia Sophia open from 09:00-17:00 in winter until 19:00 on summer.
Don’t hesitate to visit the link bellow for any further information:
Topkapı Palace Museum
Located In a top of the Byzantine acropolis on the Seraglio Point (Sarayburnu ) at the tip of the Istanbul peninsula, surrounded by the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.
Initially constructed between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II,
Topkapı Palace Museum Istanbul exhibits the imperial collections of the Ottoman Empire and maintains an extensive collection of books and manuscripts in its library. It is housed in a palace complex that served as the administrative Centre and residence of the imperial Ottoman court from about 1478 to 1856.
Admission fee :
( Istanbul Museum Pass is valid for this museum.)
Topkapı Palace Museum: 100TL
Harem: TL
Hagia Irene Monument: 30 TL (Hagia Irene Church, which is located at first courtyard of The Topkapi Palace, is opened to visit for visitors.)
(Price can change any time)
Visiting hours: 09:00 AM to 17:00PM
You can visit the Topkapi Palace and Harem every day except for Tuesday. You may consider visiting the Dolmabahçe Palace instead.
Don’t hesitate to visit the links bellow for any further information:
Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi)
The ancient basilica was built by Constantine the Great (c. 274–337) and reconstructed by Justinian (c. 482–527) in the sixth century. Architecturally, it is considered one of the most important buildings in the world. Its decorations include fine Byzantine mosaics.
Like most sites in İstanbul, the Cistern has an unusual history. It was originally known as the Basilica Cistern because it lay underneath the Stoa Basilica, one of the great squares on the first hill.
Designed to service the Great Palace and surrounding buildings, it was able to store up to 80,000 cu meters of water delivered via 20km of aqueducts from a reservoir near the Black Sea, but was closed when the Byzantine emperors relocated from the Great Palace. Forgotten by the city authorities some time before the Conquest, it wasn't rediscovered until 1545, when scholar Petrus Gyllius was researching Byzantine antiquities in the city and was told by local residents that they were able to obtain water by lowering buckets into a dark space below their basement floors.
The cistern was cleaned and renovated in 1985 by the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality and opened to the public in 1987. It's now one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.
Admission fee :
30TL
(Price can change any time)
Opening Hours:
09:00 until 19:00
Basilica Cistern is open seven days a week. Exceptionally, the first day of religious holidays is opened at 13:00H
Don’t hesitate to visit the links bellow for any further information:
Istanbul Archaeological Museum
Founded on June 13, 1891 by Osman Hamdi Bey The Istanbul Archaeology Museums is a group of three archaeological museums located inside Topkapi Palace’s borders.
The collection of the Archaeology Museum Turkey’s first museum houses over one million artifacts belonging various cultures collected from the imperial territories
If you wish to take a time travel in the thousands years of old Anatolia and Mesopotamia those museums are made for you.
The Istanbul Archaeology Museums consists of three museums: Archaeological Museum Museum of the Ancient Orient and Museum of Islamic Art.
How you can reach the museums:
When you enter Topkapi Palace via its first yard, you can reach the museum by going down the road on the left side.
You can also reach the museum via Gulhane Park. When you enter the monumental gate of Gulhane Park from tram line direction, you can
Reach the museum by walking up the road on the right side.
The Istanbul Archaeology Museums consists of three museums: Archaeological Museum Museum of the Ancient Orient and Museum of Islamic Art.
Admission fee :
( Istanbul Museum Pass is valid for this museum.)
30 TL
Istanbul Museum Pass is also valid for this museum.
Opening Hours:
09:00 – 17:00 in winter/until 19:00 on summer.
Don’t hesitate to visit the links bellow for any further information:
Dolmabahçe Palace
The Sultan's summer palace Dolmabahçe.
Originally there was a shallow bay where the Ottoman fleet used to anchor their ships. After the 17th century the coast was filled in and converted into a nice garden with a couple of pavilions named as Besiktas (Waterfront Palace complex)
In 19th century sultan Abdülmecid I (1856 to 1887)
Ordered to build a new palace Dolmabahçe Palace which was served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire.
After the proclamation of the Republic at the end of War of Liberation
The Parliament decided to use Dolmabahçe as a presidential palace thus Atatürk stayed and received foreign guests here during his visits to Istanbul.
After the death of President Atatürk Dolmabahçe Palace converted into a museum in 1952.
Admission fee :
Dolmabahçe Palace Selamlık only
100 TL
Harem – Glass Pavilion – Clocks Museum
40 TL
Combined Ticket For Selamlık And Harem
90 TL
Museum Of Palace Collections
20TL
Opening hours:
Dolmabahce Palace is closed Monday and Thursday.
Dolmabahçe Palace main building is open for visit between
09:00-16:00;
Whereas other parts (pavilions, museums)
Can be visited from 09:00 to 17:00.
Museum Of Palace Collections Visiting Hours
Museum of Palace Collections is open to visit from 09:00 to 17:00.
Don’t hesitate to visit the links bellow for any further information:
TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ARTS MUSEUM
TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ARTS MUSEUM is the first Turkish museum covering the Turkish and Islamic art works wholly.
located inside Ibrahim Pasha Palace, which is one of the most important samples of the 16th century Ottoman civil architecture samples is on the stages of the historical hippodrome, the history of which goes back to the Roman Period
Turkish and Islamic Works Museum has been awarded with the Special Jury Award of Museum of the Year Competition of the European Council in 1984 and with the prize given by European Council - UNESCO for its studies for making the children love the culture inheritance.
Admission fee :
( Istanbul Museum Pass is valid for this museum.)
Location : Situated in front of the hippodrome in Sultan Ahmed .
Chora Church (Kariye Museum)
Chora is an ancient Greek word meaning outside of the city.
with it's most beautiful architecture and examples mosaics and frescoes dating from the last period of the Byzantine painting (14th century).
Chora Church was a great building complex in the Eastern Roman Empire period, and it was dedicated to Jesus Christ.
rebuilt by the Emperor Justinian(527-565) in place of this chapel.
After continuing to serve as a church following the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, the building was converted into a mosque in 1511 by Vizier Hadim Ali Pasha and then to museum on (1945).
Admission fee :
Touristanbul by Turkish airlines
Turkish airlines provide guided tour for the city even for few hours
Let's say you have arrived at the airport and you have to be at the airport for 6-24 hours. You will be picked up by a tour guide. 30 minutes before the hotel desk, after passport and customs controls.
Don't hesitate to visit the link below to get more information about the schedules, how to apply and what you can visit :
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