This attractive wooden mansion was the retreat of celebrated poet Tevfik Fikret (1867-1915), who built it himself. Although the literary exhibits don't...

In northern Şişli, a short bus ride from Taksim Square, is a candy-pink Ottoman house in which Mustafa Kemal once stayed. It now contains three floors of...

Forbidden to portray living beings by religion (although this was not always strictly adhered to), Islamic artists developed alternative forms of...

Set in a beautiful 17th-century medrese, this is one of the city's more unusual museums. Where instructors once lectured students in Islamic philosophy,...

A visit to the city's least known museum requires forward planning: to gain access to the heavily guarded Selimiye army barracks, you must fax your passport...

The official museum of the Galatasaray School sports club, now more famous for its football team. Barely more than a trophy room, the exhibits include...

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...

Created as Turkey's equivalent of London's Tate Modern, Istanbul Modern has grown comfortably into its role since opening in 2004. Housed in a former...

Although this little island was occupied by a fortress in Byzantine times, the tower dates from the last century. In Turkish it's known as Kız Kulesi, or...

Housed in the immaculately restored Zülfaris Synagogue (in existence since 1671, but dating in its present form to the early 19th century), a collection of...

The sheer size and wealth of this place says as much about the military's continued clout in Turkey, as it does about the country's bloody history. For many...

The decrepit state of this poorly signposted museum, housed in a waterside mansion, suggests that few visitors find their way here. Shame, because the...

Behind Sultanahmet Mosque and slightly down the hill towards the Marmara is a small, 17th-century shopping street, built to provide rental revenue for the...

Overlooking the Hippodrome, the museum occupies the restored 16th-century palace of Ibrahim Paşa. A Greek convert to Islam, Ibrahim was the confidant of...