Historic Areas of Istanbul
The only city in the world that straddles two continents and the only city that has been capital of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Ottoman Empire — Istanbul, at the meeting point of Europe and Asia above the Bosphorus Strait, contains in a single district the Hagia Sophia (the most important building of the Byzantine world), the Topkapi Palace (the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire for four centuries), and the Blue Mosque (the only mosque in Istanbul with six minarets).
At a glance
The Historic Areas of Istanbul (UNESCO WHS 1985; 4 zones: the Archaeological Park (Sultanahmet); the Süleymaniye district; the Zeyrek district; the land walls zone; total area approximately 2,395 ha; population of Istanbul approximately 15 million (the most populous city in Europe by population within city limits; the most important commercial city in the Middle East)) was founded as Byzantium (the Greek colony; c.657 BCE; the most strategically located city in the ancient world — the only crossing point between Europe and Asia in the region; the city that controls the Bosphorus controls the trade between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean) by the Megarian Greek colonists; the city was refounded as Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολη; “City of Constantine”) in 330 CE by the Roman Emperor Constantine I (the founder of the Byzantine Empire; the first Christian Roman emperor; the most consequential emperor in the history of the Roman state); Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire from 330 to 1453 CE (1,123 years — the longest continuous capital of a single empire in world history); the Ottoman conquest (29 May 1453; Sultan Mehmed II (“the Conqueror”; Fatih Sultan Mehmed; the most important military event in the history of the medieval Mediterranean; the fall of the Byzantine Empire; the beginning of the Ottoman capital at Constantinople (renamed Istanbul in popular use, though “Constantinople” remained the official name in Ottoman state documents until 1930)); the Turkish Republic (from 1923; Atatürk’s reforms (1923–1938; the most dramatic modernisation programme in the history of the Middle East; the Latin alphabet; secular law; the haric (fez ban); the conversion of the Hagia Sophia to a museum (1934))).
Key facts
- The Hagia Sophia: the most important building in the history of Byzantine civilisation — the Hagia Sophia (the construction history: the first church on the site (dedicated 360 CE; burned 404 CE); the second church (rebuilt 415 CE; burned 532 CE during the Nika Revolt — the most violent urban revolt in Byzantine history); the current building (designed by Anthemios of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus (the most important architects of the Byzantine world; Anthemios was a mathematician as much as an architect — the design of the dome reflects mathematical principles not seen again in architecture until the Renaissance); completed in 537 CE in five years and ten months (the most rapid construction of a major domed structure before the modern era); the structural principle (the dome (31.87 m diameter) is supported not on a drum (as in the Pantheon) but on four triangular pendentives (spherical triangles) that transfer the weight of the dome to four massive piers; the technique of the pendentive is the single most important structural innovation in the history of world architecture — it allowed large domes to be placed over square rooms for the first time; every domed church and mosque built since (including St. Peter’s, the Blue Mosque, the Süleymaniye, and every Baroque church in Italy) derives its structural logic from the Hagia Sophia)); the interior (the nave: 73.5 m long × 69.7 m wide; the largest interior space in the ancient or medieval world for approximately 1,000 years; the mosaics (the most important surviving Byzantine mosaics: the Deesis mosaic (c.1261; the finest Byzantine mosaic of the late period; Christ enthroned between the Virgin and St. John the Baptist; in the upper gallery; the most important single Byzantine artwork visible in Istanbul); the Empress Zoe mosaic (the mosaic panel with Christ flanked by the Empress Zoe and her husband Constantine IX; the most politically revealing Byzantine mosaic — the face of the male figure was replaced twice (when Zoe changed husbands) and Christ’s face was repainted when the mosaic was restored)); the Ottoman conversions (the conversion to a mosque in 1453: the mosaics were plastered over (not destroyed); the four minarets were added (the original two were built by Mehmed II and Bayezid II; the other two by Selim II and Murat III in the 16th century)); the Atatürk museum period (1934–2020: the plaster removed from the mosaics; the building used as a neutral cultural monument accessible to all; the Erdoğan re-conversion (2020; the mosaics were covered with curtains during Islamic prayer times; the most controversial building-use decision in Turkey in the 21st century))
- Topkapi Palace: the administrative centre of the most powerful empire of the 15th–17th centuries — Topkapi Sarayı (begun 1459 by Mehmed II; expanded by successive sultans; the administrative and residential centre of the Ottoman government for approximately 400 years (1459–1856, when the court moved to Dolmabahçe Palace); the layout (a series of four successive courtyards: the First Court (the Janissary court; open to the public throughout the Ottoman period; the most public part of the palace); the Second Court (the Imperial Council (the Divan) met here; the Kitchens (the most important collection of Chinese porcelain outside China)); the Third Court (the most private of the semi-public courts; the Throne Room; the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle (the most sacred Islamic relics in the palace: the mantle, footprint, and tooth of the Prophet Muhammad; the sword of the Prophet; the most important collection of Islamic relics in the world outside Mecca)); the Fourth Court (the private gardens of the sultan; the pavilions and kiosks; the most beautiful views of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, and the Sea of Marmara)); the Harem (the most visited section of the palace; the private apartments of the sultan, his wives, concubines, and children; approximately 400 rooms; only a fraction are open to the public; the most architecturally interesting single space in the Harem: the Chamber of Murad III (1578; designed by the great Ottoman architect Sinan (Mimar Sinan; 1490–1588; the greatest Ottoman architect; the builder of the Süleymaniye Mosque and the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne; the Ottoman equivalent of Michelangelo))); the Treasury (the most visited single room in the palace; the four most important objects: the Topkapi Dagger (the most famous Ottoman decorative object; three large emeralds in the hilt; made as a gift for the Persian Shah Nadir which was never delivered because he was assassinated before it arrived); the Spoonmaker’s Diamond (Kaşıkçı Elması; 86 carats; the fifth-largest diamond in the world; found in a rubbish heap in the 17th century and sold for three spoons — hence the name; the most valuable object in the treasury))
- The Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern: the Ottoman skyline and the Roman underground — the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque; Sultanahmet Camii; built 1609–1616 under Sultan Ahmed I; the most famous Ottoman mosque in Istanbul; the name (“Blue Mosque” is a popular name derived from the approximately 20,000 Iznik tiles (the finest tiles in the Ottoman tradition; made in Iznik (ancient Nicaea) using the most refined ceramic technique in the Ottoman world; the famous floral designs on a white ground) that cover the interior walls and dome in shades of blue; the 6 minarets (the most controversial feature of the mosque when built — only the mosque at Mecca had 6 minarets; Ahmed I resolved the scandal by paying for a 7th minaret at Mecca)); the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı; “Sunken Cistern”; built 532 CE under Justinian I; the most important surviving example of Byzantine civil engineering; 9,800 m² (the largest surviving ancient cistern in the world); 336 marble columns in 12 rows of 28; the two Medusa heads (used as bases for two columns at the north-west corner; the heads were taken from an older Roman monument; one is upside down, one is sideways — the asymmetric placement was deliberate to neutralise the Medusa’s gaze (direct eye contact with the gaze would turn the viewer to stone; tilting averts the direct gaze)); now a major tourist attraction with lights and atmospheric music; the most dramatic ancient space accessible to visitors in Istanbul))
- Heritage: UNESCO World Heritage Site, Historic Areas of Istanbul, inscribed 1985
- GPS: 41.0082° N, 28.9784° E
History
Byzantium (c.657 BCE; Greek colony; the strategic position at the only crossing point of the Bosphorus made it the most important trading city on the Black Sea route); Constantinople (330 CE; Constantine I chose the site for its strategic position and its distance from the Roman political establishment; the new city was the largest construction project of the 4th century; the Byzantine Empire (330–1453 CE; the most durable political structure in European history; the empire survived 1,123 years — longer than the Western Roman Empire survived from Augustus to the fall (27 BCE–476 CE = 503 years) and longer than any other European empire); the Fourth Crusade (1204; the Crusaders sacked Constantinople — the most scandalous act of the medieval Crusading movement; Orthodox Christians attacked by fellow Christians; the Latin Empire (1204–1261) occupied the city; the city never fully recovered economically); the Ottoman conquest (29 May 1453; the end of the Byzantine Empire; the beginning of the Ottoman capital; the transformation of the city’s skyline by the mosques of Mehmed II, Bayezid II, and Suleiman the Magnificent (the Golden Age of Ottoman architecture); Atatürk and the Turkish Republic (1923); UNESCO WHS 1985.
What you see
The Sultanahmet district (the most concentrated heritage zone in Istanbul; walkable in a day): the Hagia Sophia (the essential first visit; allow 2h; early morning or late afternoon to avoid the maximum crowds; the upper gallery (the Byzantine mosaics; the best views of the nave); the Topkapi Palace (the main palace buildings + the Harem (separate ticket; separate entry; the most visited section; allow 2h for the palace alone + 1h for the Harem)); the Blue Mosque (the only mosque where non-Muslims enter free; modest dress required; no visit during the 5 daily prayer times (approximately 30 min each)); the Basilica Cistern (30–45 min; atmospheric; always cool (useful in summer); the best evening visit option (open late in summer); the Hippodrome (the ancient chariot racing circuit of Constantinople; now a public square; the three surviving ancient monuments: the Serpent Column (479 BCE; from Delphi; the oldest monument in Istanbul); the Egyptian Obelisk (1500 BCE; brought by Theodosius I from Luxor in 390 CE; the most ancient monument in the city); the Column of Constantine).
Practical information
- Getting there: Istanbul Airport (IST; the new airport opened 2019; the largest airport in Europe; 40 km north-west of the city centre; Metro M11 (Gayrettepe; 40 min; approximately TRY 50 (EUR 1.30)); the Havaist airport bus (to Taksim Square; 1h; approximately TRY 100); the journey to the Sultanahmet historic district (from Taksim or Gayrettepe, take the T1 tram (Kabataş–Bağcılar) directly to Sultanahmet stop — the single most useful single tram route in Istanbul; passes the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) and the Hippodrome); the Istanbul Kart (the rechargeable transit card; essential for public transport; available from ticket machines at the airport Metro station and all major stops; approximately TRY 50 deposit + credit; the only practical way to use the tram, bus, Metro, and ferry))
- The Turkish hammam experience: the original spa tradition — the hammam (Turkish bath; the most important bathing tradition in the Ottoman world; every quarter of Istanbul had its own hammam (there were approximately 4,000 hammams in Istanbul at the peak of the Ottoman period; most have closed; approximately 60 traditional hammams still operate); the ritual (undress in the çamekan (the entrance hall with individual locked cubicles); enter the hararet (the hot room) and lie on the göbektaşı (the heated marble platform at the centre; the central element of every hammam); sweat; have a vigorous scrub by the tellak (the male bath attendant) or natır (female) who removes a remarkable amount of dead skin using a kese (a rough scrubbing mitt); receive a foam massage; cool down in the soğukluk (cool room); the most famous historic hammam in the Sultanahmet area: the Çemberlitaş Hamamı (1584; designed by Mimar Sinan; the same architect as the Süleymaniye Mosque; the finest surviving historic hammam interior in Istanbul))
- The Bosphorus crossing and the Asian side: experiencing both Europe and Asia in one day — the Bosphorus ferry (the most underrated tourist experience in Istanbul; the public ferries (Şehir Hatları) cross the Bosphorus between the European shore (Eminönü or Beşiktaş) and the Asian shore (Üsküdar or Kadıköy) every 30 minutes; approximately TRY 15 (EUR 0.40); the 15-min crossing passes between the two continents with a view of the Ottoman fortresses on the Bosphorus shore; the Üsküdar landing (the Asian shore neighbourhood; the most relaxed and least touristic of the major ferry terminals; the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (1548; Mimar Sinan; the most beautiful light effect of any Ottoman mosque in Istanbul — the windows allow the sunset light to flood the interior on the day of the spring equinox)); Kadıköy (the most vibrant Asian neighbourhood; the fish market; the produce market; the most authentic Istanbul street food scene: midye dolma (stuffed mussels; a street food unique to Istanbul; the mussel vendor (midyeci) adds lemon juice; the taste; the etiquette (eat as many as you like and the vendor counts the shells at the end to determine the price))
Getting there
Istanbul Airport (IST; Metro M11 to Gayrettepe 40min then tram T1 to Sultanahmet). T1 tram is the essential tourist route. Istanbul Kart required. GPS: 41.0082, 28.9784.
Nearby
- Ephesus (UNESCO WHS 2015) — 600 km south of Istanbul (1h by flight to İzmir + 1h by car; or overnight bus (9h)); the most completely excavated ancient Greek and Roman city in the world — Ephesus (Efes; the ancient Ionian Greek city; at its peak in the 1st–2nd century CE one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire (population approximately 200,000–500,000; the third or fourth largest city in the Roman world after Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch)); the Library of Celsus (117–120 CE; the most photographed ancient building in Turkey; the two-storey facade of the Roman library; the library held approximately 12,000 scrolls; the most important civic library of the eastern Roman Empire (the third largest in the Roman world after the libraries of Rome and Alexandria)); the Great Theatre (25,000 seats; the theatre where St. Paul (the apostle) was reportedly driven from the city by the silversmiths who made models of the Temple of Artemis (according to Acts 19:23–41 — the most important biblical reference associated with any still-standing ancient monument))
- Göreme (Cappadocia, UNESCO WHS 1985) — 750 km south-east of Istanbul (1h 15min by flight to Kayseri or Nevşehir); the most surreal geological and cultural landscape in Turkey — Cappadocia (the volcanic tuff landscape in central Anatolia; the erosion of the tuff by wind and rain created the “fairy chimneys” (peribacaları; conical rock formations capped by harder basalt; the most distinctive geological formations in Turkey; approximately 250 fairy chimneys in the Göreme valley); the underground cities (Derinkuyu (the deepest underground city; 18 levels; approximately 85 m deep; capable of sheltering approximately 20,000 people; built by early Christians escaping Byzantine religious persecution and later Arab raids; the ventilation shafts (holes in the ceiling of each room; the engineering of the underground city; perfectly functional millennia later)); the cave churches (the Göreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO WHS 1985; the finest collection of Byzantine cave church frescoes in Turkey; approximately 30 rock-cut churches with fresco decoration dating from the 10th–12th century CE)); the hot air balloon flights (the most popular tourist activity in Cappadocia; approximately 150 balloons in the air at dawn over the fairy chimneys; the most photographed dawn scene in Turkey))
- Bursa and Cumalıkızık (UNESCO WHS 2014) — 150 km south of Istanbul (1h 30min by car or ferry to Bursa); the first Ottoman capital and the finest early Ottoman architecture — Bursa (the first capital of the Ottoman Empire (1326–1369); the most important early Ottoman city; the Green Mosque (Yeşil Cami; 1421; the finest early Ottoman mosque in Turkey; the turquoise İznik tile decoration of the interior — the earliest surviving major example of İznik tile production; the colour (the deep turquoise-green of the 15th-century İznik tilework is the most refined tile colour in all of Ottoman architectural history; the later blue-and-white Iznik tiles of the Blue Mosque are more famous but the Bursa green tiles are considered by specialists to be technically superior)); the Grand Bazaar of Bursa (the Kapalı Çarşı; the oldest covered market in the Ottoman world; the silk trade (Bursa was the western terminus of the Silk Road from China through Persia; the silk merchants of Bursa were the wealthiest in the Ottoman Empire))
Sources
- Wikipedia, Hagia Sophia; Topkapi Palace; History of Istanbul; Basilica Cistern, accessed June 2026
- UNESCO, Historic Areas of Istanbul, WHS reference 356, inscribed 1985
- John Julius Norwich, Byzantium: The Early Centuries, Knopf, 1989
Find it on the map
See this place and what’s around it →📷 Diventa un fotografo di Cultural Heritage Online
Condividi le tue foto dei luoghi: restano pubblicate con la tua firma come autore. Più vengono viste, più ti fai conoscere — e presto un concorso premierà le foto più apprezzate.
Accedi o registrati gratis per aggiungere una foto