Istanbul is an old city with rich cultural heritage and it will take more then a few days to visit all beautiful places. Sultanahmet, for example, represents the historical and tourist face of Istanbul, where many ancient historical and cultural treasures gather. This part of the city is one of the most beautiful places in Istanbul, an archaeological and tourist area, with many mosques, churches, restaurants, gardens and museums. On this page you will find the complete list of all attractions in Istanbul that you do not want to miss.
One of the most visited sights in Istanbul is the Rumeli Hisari fortress, which is located at the narrowest part of the Bosphorus. Wall fortifications look impressive. In Turkish, Bogazkesen Hisari is located in the Sariyer district. The tower was built during the reign of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror and he named it Rumeli Hisari, for the purpose of controlling commercial and military traffic during the siege of Constantinople. The construction of the fortress lasted only 4 months, and it overlooked the Anatolian fortress located on the Anatolian side. Its area is about 30 hectares. Architect EH Ayverdi was in charge of building the fortress, and over 1,000 workers worked on it.
The First Bosphorus Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in Istanbul, it looks beautiful during the day and is even more beautiful at night. It is pronounced Boğaziçi köprüsü in Turkish. The bridge is a link between the European and Asian parts. It was created as the first suspension bridge. It has a length of 1560m and a width of 33.4m, the height above the sea is 64m. At the time it was built, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, and today it is one of the 25 longest suspension bridges. Since ancient times, there have been ideas to build a bridge across the Bosphorus, according to records recorded by the Greek historian Herodotus.
Rustem Pasha's mosque is recognizable by its single minaret and ranks as one of the important mosques to visit while in beautiful Istanbul. The construction plan of the mosque was made by Mimar Sinan, and the interior of the mosque makes it different from the others. The colorful interior with blue tones and floral patterns ranks it among the more beautiful mosques. It is known that Suleiman's grand vizier in XVI Rustem Pasha, born in Bosnia, married the daughter of Suleiman the Magnificent, Mihrimah.
Istanbul Aquarium is a favorite place for adults and children. One of the most famous and largest themed aquariums in the world is an ideal place for all visitors. An adventure to remember is called the Florya Aquarium. It opened its doors 11 years ago and has taken a leading role in entertainment and created a reputation similar to or even greater than that of aquariums in America and Europe. In the Istanbul aquarium, you will experience the marine world as if in the palm of your hand. The large complex contains numerous attractions and activities, and only a few of them are the unique systems installed in the aquarium, the best 5D cinema, restaurants, convents, a shopping center, several cafes, and above all it is known for 15,000 species of marine animals.
Another important landmark of Istanbul is the Basilica Cistern, located in a not so visible place, between the Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia. The other name of the basilica is the Submerged Palace because of the water level in it, and it served to supply the whole city with fresh water. It was made in an antique style, and the marble columns inside make it very attractive for tourists. Although there are a large number of cisterns in Istanbul, classified into three groups, above-ground, underground and open cisterns, the Basilica Cistern ranks number one in size. The basilica is named after the basilica that was located above the cistern, on a hill.
