Completed in 1857, this relatively small palace was used by Ottoman sultans for short stays during country excursions and hunting trips. Unlike other...

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...

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...

An absolutely magical attraction, which recreates 105 of Turkey's most famous sights in miniature. The models range from a palm-sized Leander's Tower to a...

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...

Announced by a roadside garden full of big guns, the museum is housed in two separate buildings on the Bosphorus. The larger building holds an extensive...

Construction on the mosque began in 1598, but suffered a setback when the architect was executed for heresy. It was eventually completed in 1663, after the...

Constructed on one of the seven hills within the walls of former Constantinople, this was the first mosque in the city built in the style known as Turkish...

In 1453 Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire in the area. This museum, opened by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip...

In an 1893 building that formerly housed Istanbul's famous Bristol Hotel, this well-run museum combines permanent exhibitions, art galleries, an auditorium,...

On a hilltop with a stunning vantage point over the Golden Horn, this café is dedicated to French naval officer Pierre Loti, who was so obsessed with...

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