A supremely stylish affair, Poseidon serves superior seafood at vertiginous prices. Sampling the meze menu will hike up the bill, but specalities like...

The third sacred building on the site to bear the name, the existing Haghia Sophia ('Divine Wisdom') was dedicated on 26 December AD 537 by Emperor...

Built by the Emperor Justinian at the same time as the Haghia Sophia, it was forgotten for centuries and only rediscovered by a Frenchman, Peter Gyllius, in...

Directly behind Haghia Sophia are the walls shielding the Topkapı Palace complex. Part command centre for a massive military empire, part archetypal Eastern...

Often overlooked because it's so far off the beaten track, for Byzantine splendour this church (also known as the Kariye Mosque or Museum) is second only to...

Possibly the cleanest and most atmospheric hamam in town. Built in 1584 by Sinan, it was commissioned by Nurbanu, wife of Sultan Selim the Sot, as a...

Behind the Galatasaray Lycée, this fabulous 19th- century building was originally a school for the Italian Workers' Association. Beautifully converted into...

It may be a trek to Edirnekapı, but it's worth it for this one-of-a-kind restaurant, in the eponymous hotel next door, specialising in authentic Ottoman...

A makeover several years ago did little to improve the forbidding appearance of this hard-to-find hamam, hidden among the backstreet hardware stores. The...

This is the only institution in Istanbul dedicated to the Whirling Dervishes that is open to the public. A peaceful courtyard leads through to the octagonal...

Originally named the Tower of Christ, this watchtower was built in 1348 at the apex of fortified walls. After the Ottoman conquest, it was used to house...

With its bright colours, velvet furnishings and an eye-catching floor piece of a nude young Norma Jean Baker, 5.Kat has one of the city's most striking...

Located on the sixth floor of the Richmond Hotel on Istiklal Caddesi, Leb-i Derya has probably the best views of any restaurant in the city, even by...

Irrefutable evidence of an empire on its last legs, Dolmabahçe Palace was built for Abdül Mecit by Karabet Balyan and his son Nikoĸos. It was completed in...