It’s super convenient that a good chunk of the major must-see sights in Istanbul are all within close proximity of each other in the Historic Peninsula. This makes it easier for travelers who prefer to explore on their own, because they can walk to the next location without having to worry too much about transportation. Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, and the Hippodrome of Constantine are all within a few minutes walk from each other. They’re the big must-see sites in Istanbul and all of them are impressive and unique in their own right.

Topkapı Palace

Built in the 15th century, Topkapı Palace was occupied by the Ottoman Sultans for nearly 400 years. Not only was the palace used to house the royal family but it was also the center for administrative affairs, the meeting place for council members, and an educational institution to recruit and train the brightest students to become future members of the bureaucracy.

The grand palace has multiple courtyards and quarters and you can easily spend an entire day exploring everything. I would highly suggest arriving as early as possible because the lines can be brutal. If you don’t have too much time dedicated for the palace, make sure you plan ahead and decide which sections you want to see. A couple notable sections to check out are: the Imperial Council, the Sacred Relics, the Imperial Treasury, the Armory, and the Fourth Courtyard.

The Imperial Council

The Imperial Council chamber is where the ministers and other leading officials held their meetings. The main chamber has seating lined up against the walls with a small hearth in the middle. To the chamber’s right wall sits a golden window where the sultan would listen in on the meetings and watch the council without them knowing he was there (talk about micromanaging, sheesh!). Directly at the eye level of the window, a decorated ball hangs from the ceiling to represent the earth. It symbolizes the sultan’s level and power and how his position is above the council members.

The Sacred Relics

The Sacred Relics can be found in the third courtyard of the palace. Women are required to cover up upon entry but the guards will lend you a scarf if you don’t have one. Inside the chambers you’ll have a chance to see the staff of Moses, David’s sword, the sword and bow of Muhammad, as well as the Prophet’s seal, footprint, hairs of his beard, and even his tooth. Although for the last one, the tooth is in a box, so you’ll get to see the sacred box that houses the sacred tooth.

You can already see the line forming up bright and early

The Imperial Treasury

View image | gettyimages.com

Also in the third courtyard you can make your way to the Imperial Treasury where you’ll find a fine collection of Turkish jewelry and other valuables. The most famous piece in the treasury is the stunning 86 carat Spoonmaker’s Diamond. The actual origin of the diamond is unknown but legend has it that a fisherman found it while walking along the shore. When he brought it to a jeweler, he was told that it was a worthless piece of glass and he ended up trading the diamond for three spoons instead, thus giving it the name the Spoonmaker’s Diamond. Eventually, a high ranking minister purchased the diamond from the jeweler on behalf of the sultan and that’s how the diamond wound up as the pride of the Imperial Treasury.

Another famous valuable to keep an eye out for at the Treasury is the Topkapı Dagger. The piece was made famous from the film Topkapi, a heist movie centered on stealing the dagger from the museum. The golden dagger encrusted with diamonds and three large emeralds was originally a gift from the sultan to a shah in Iran. The shah was assassinated before the gift reached him, so the dagger was returned to Topkapı Palace.

The Armory

The Armory houses a vast collection of weapons used by the members of the palace as well as weapons seized from conquered enemies. It’s a modern exhibit that beautifully displays chainmail, shields, and weapons such as swords, bows, maces, and guns. You’ll also see ceremonial swords that are completely impractical to use in the battlefield but gorgeous to gawk at.

The Fourth Courtyard

The Fourth Courtyard is the innermost area for the royal family. Two sections to check out here are the Circumcision room and the İftar Kiosk.

The İftar Kiosk is a popular hotspot for photo opportunities. The pavillion offers a great view of the Golden Horn and Galata. Reports claimed that the sultans used this pavilion area to break their fast during the fasting month of Ramadan.

Circumcision is actually a huge part of Muslim tradition in Turkey. On every tour we were on, at least one of our tour guides would mention circumcision and its importance for cleanliness and purity. In Turkey, circumcision typically occurs when the boy is around 6-7 years old. The day before the event, the boy dresses up in a traditional circumcision costume and has a huge party and parade in his honor. After the circumcision, the boy has a special recovery bed that he lays in while the rest of his family and friends continue to celebrate with him.

In the fourth courtyard, the circumcision room is dedicated for the young princes in the palace. The spacious room has multiple windows each accompanied with a small fountain. What makes this room special is that the walls are adorned with the beautifully blue İznik tiles, similar to the tiles found in the Blue Mosque.

Hagia Sophia

A wonder of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Hagia Sophia (or Aya Sofya in Turkish) is a symbol for the city and a representation of its rich history. The enormous building with its famed dome ceiling was an architectural marvel when it was built in the 6th century. It’s considered to be the epitome of classic Byzantine architecture. Even when you walk in today and gawk at the massive domed ceiling, you’ll still wonder how this stunning structure was constructed and preserved since the 6th century.

The name Hagia Sophia translates to “Holy Wisdom”. Rebuilt twice after destruction from riots, the current Hagia Sophia dates back to the year 537. It was the largest cathedral in the world for almost a millennium before the Seville Cathedral in Spain took that title in 1520.

Constructed during Byzantine times, Hagia Sophia was originally a Christian church. In the 1400s when the Ottoman Empire laid siege to Constantinople, the church was turned into Aya Sofya, a mosque. They covered the Christian mosaics in plaster and erected minarets on the corners of the building for call to prayer times. It remained a mosque until the 1930’s, when Atatürk, the first president of the now Republic of Turkey declared Hagia Sophia to be a secular museum. The plaster was removed, mosaics restored, and now visitors can observe both the rich history of Christian and Muslim relics under the same domed museum.

Juxtaposition of Christian & Muslim relics in the Hagia Sophia

Truly a symbol of the city, Hagia Sophia followed the city’s changes from Byzantine Christians to Ottoman Muslims and now to the Republic of Turkey’s secular state. The majestic landmark has seen many changes throughout its lifetime and still continues to impress even in the modern world.

The Blue Mosque

Also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and across the square from the red walls of the Hagia Sophia, The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, or the Blue Mosque, is one of the most famous and recognizable landmarks in Istanbul. Sultan Ahmet I aspired to erect a superior mosque to rival the Hagia Sophia, one that would surpass it in terms of size, architectural achievement, and grandeur.

The ambitious project undoubtedly cost a lot of money and the Sultan made a widely unpopular decision to withdraw money from the treasury to continue funding it. Unfortunately it still couldn’t top the Hagia Sophia in terms of size and architectural achievement. After the Ottoman Turks seized the city and ransacked the Hagia Sophia, many of the construction plans for the church were destroyed or lost. The architects of the Blue Mosque were unable to replicate the seemingly unsupported enormous dome the Hagia Sophia is known for. Instead they were forced to install four pillars in the interior of the mosque to safely support the structure.

However, the Blue Mosque commands fame in its own right with its multiple minarets and gorgeous blue İznik tiles that line the interior of the mosque. The primary reason the Blue Mosque is so recognizable is because of the six minarets surrounding it. At the time, the only other mosque to have six minarets was the mosque of the Ka'aba in Mecca. Another unpopular move, the sultan was highly criticized for this pompous choice to be at the same level as the mosque in Mecca. He rectified the situation by ordering a seventh minaret to be built at the mosque in Mecca.

Today the Blue Mosque is still used as a place of worship so you should plan your visit accordingly because it closes several times a day during prayer services. When you do enter the mosque, women will be required to cover up their hair, shoulders, and legs. You’ll also have to take your shoes off so you may want to bring a pair of socks.

Upon entrance you’ll finally see for yourself why this place is lovingly nicknamed the Blue Mosque. 20,000 handmade İznik ceramic tiles cloak the walls creating an ocean of blue inside the mosque. Your eyes will also be drawn to the low hanging chandeliers and the 200 stained glass windows with detailed designs.

Because of the sultan’s attempt and desire to match the extravagance of the Hagia Sophia, the completed Blue Mosque is a hybrid between elements of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture. Both are extraordinary structures on their own and both deserve attention and fame in their own rights.

The Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern, or the Sunken Palace, is the largest ancient cistern found underneath Sultanahmet square. It was used as a reservoir and water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople and then Topkapı Palace. You can peek over the railing and still see the large fish swimming in the water. Similar to canaries in mines, fish were originally put in the water as a warning sign to the locals in case the water was poisoned.

Beneath the city of Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern is a refreshing place to stop by and cool off from the summer heat. Walking down the stairs into the dark spacious subterranean surface, I could already feel the cool air against my skin. From time to time the ceiling drips melancholically into the water or walkways. With its massive marble pillars, hauntingly wooden walkways, and eerie dampness in the air you can easily see why locals called it the Sunken Palace.

The basilica used to hold up to 80,000 cubic meters of water. Now drained to a shallow depth, Medusa heads appeared at the bottom of two columns. One of the heads is inverted while the other lays on its side. There’s no explanation of their existence or why the heads are not aligned upright, but tales surfaced that having her head inverted negates the power of her venomous glare.

Among the columns in the cistern, one particular pillar stands apart from the rest and it is known as the Column of Tears. Carved with teardrops, this column is said to pay tribute to the hundreds of workers who died while building the cistern. In the middle of a column is a thumbhole and tradition states that if you can put your thumb in the hole and complete a 360-degree spin of your hand, it will bring you good fortune.

Hippodrome of Constantine

At its heyday, the Hippodrome of Constantine was a grand arena used for chariot races, horse races, and other popular pastimes. It was the center of social life during Byzantine times and one of the rare occasions where Byzantine emperors and commoners would be among one another in the same setting. After the Ottoman Turks conquered the city, they were uninterested in chariot races and soon the Hippodrome was forgotten and deteriorated.

Today the Hippodrome is known as Sultan Ahmet Square and you can still see some remnants of the glorious arena. Erected in the 4th century, the impeccably preserved Obelisk of Theodosius towers above the square. The pink granite was brought over from Egypt by Theodosius the Great in the year 390. The pedestal below the obelisk is intricately carved with scenes of the chariot races along with the emperor and his court observing the events.

Near the northern end of the Hippodrome is the elegant domed German Fountain. A gift from German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II to commemorate his visit to Istanbul, the fountain was constructed in Germany and transported piece by piece to Istanbul where it was reassembled in the square in 1901. The beautiful fountain is covered in bronze while the interior of the dome is lined with golden mosaics.