Mövenpick Hotel & Resorts - Istanbul - Destination Guide - Sightseeing

Dolmabahce Palace

Located on the European side of the Bosphorus, the Dolmabahce Palace served as the main administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire from 1853-1922. It was the first European-style palace in Istanbul. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder and first president of Turkey, spent his last years in the palace as his health deteriorated. Ataturk died at 9.05 am on 10 November 1938, in a room that is now part of the museum.

Distance: 8 km

More details: www.dolmabahce.gov.tr

Topkapi Palace

The Topkapi Palace was the official and primary residence in the city of the Ottoman Sultans, from 1465-1853. The palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments and today is a major tourist attraction. After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1921, the Topkapi Palace was transformed by government decree on 3 April 1924 into a museum of the imperial era. The palace is full of examples of Ottoman architecture and also contains large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armour, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as a display of Ottoman treasure and jewellery.

Distance: 15 km

More details: www.topkapisarayi.gov.tr

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the medieval Seville Cathedral in 1520.

Distance: 15 km

More details: www.kultur.gov.tr  

Blue Mosque

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a historical mosque that is known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has become one of the greatest tourist attractions of Istanbul.

Distance: 15 km

More details: www.kultur.gov.tr

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest covered markets in the world, comprising more than 58 streets and 4,000 shops, and welcomes between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. It is well known for its jewellery, pottery, spice and carpet shops. The bazaar contains two bedestens (domed masonry structures built for storage and safe-keeping), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restoration following an earthquake.

Distance: 18 km

More details: www.kapalicarsi.org.tr