16 BEST PLACES TO VISIT ON THE EUROPEAN SIDE OF ISTANBUL

1 – SULTANAHMET SQUARE, SULTANAHMET MOSQUE AND THE GROUND Cistern
The first of our list of Places to Visit on the European Side of Istanbul is Sultanahmet Square, Blue Mosque and Basilica Palace in the Historic Peninsula. If you are on the Anatolian side, you can take the ferry from Kadıköy to Eminönü, from here you can take the tram going in the direction of Bağcılar and get off at Sultanahmet Station. After viewing the German Fountain, the Egyptian Obelisk, the Knitted Obelisk and the Serpent Column in Sultanahmet Square, you can visit the famous Basilica Palace from the Byzantine period and visit the large water cistern, where you can sit on the throne of the sultan and the sultan in Ottoman clothes and have a photo taken. Having fun while taking photos is guaranteed :)

WHAT IS THE ENTERTAINMENT FEE FOR THE YEREBATAN SARNICI 2022?
Adult: 50 TL
Teacher and Student: 20 TL
Foreign visitors: 190 TL
WHAT ARE THE OPENING AND CLOSING (VISIT) HOURS OF THE BASEMENT Cistern?
The Basilica Cistern is open to visitors 7 days a week, between 09:00 and 17:30. Exceptionally, it opens at 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays.

Yerebatan Cistern CONTACT INFORMATION
Address: Alemdar Mh., Yerebatan Cd. 1/3, 34410 Fatih/Istanbul
Phone: +90 212 522 12 59

2 – HISTORICAL SULTAN AHMET KÖFTECISI, SULTANAHMET PARK AND EROL STONE COFFEE
After visiting the Basilica Cistern, you will be thrilled to see the famous Sultan Mosque with its minaret, inside and out. If you're hungry, the Historical Sultanahmet Köftecisi is waiting for you in its original form. It would be a mistake to eat the meatballs and pizzas of this place from Sultanahmet. Only in Sultanahmet there are many similar meatball shops with the inscription "Historic Sultanahmet Köftecisi". Just like you ate at Selim Usta, the historical Sultanahmet Köftecisi.

After your stomach is full, you can sit by the pool in the Sultanahmet Archaeological Park and enjoy the view of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. You can go to Cankurtaran, which is a 10-minute walk from here, and visit the late character actor Erol Taş's coffeehouse, which is equipped with old film stills. Erol Taş was running this coffee shop and personally helping the staff in his spare time from the movie sets. The coffee continues to function as a semi-museum at the moment.

3 – AYASOFIA MUSEUM
Hagia Sophia Museum, which is one of the world's leading monuments in the history of art and architecture with its dizzying dome hanging in the air, carved marble columns and unique mosaics, is at the top of the places to visit on the European side of Istanbul. Hagia Sophia, one of the most visited museums, is shown as the 8th wonder of the world.

4 – TOPKAPI PALACE AND GULHANE PARK
Our next stop after Hagia Sophia is Topkapı Palace, which is considered the historical symbol of Istanbul. Topkapi Palace, which was built during the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror and turned into a museum during the Republic, is one of the historical and touristic places to visit in Istanbul. The Palace is of great historical importance, as the 400-year part of the 600-year-old Ottoman Empire was ruled from the Topkapi Palace. Topkapi Palace entrance fee is 40 TL. Museum card is valid.

After visiting Topkapi Palace, you can sit and rest on one of the flowered banks of Gulhane Park, which was used as the outer garden of Topkapi Palace filled with roses during the Ottoman Empire, and where Nazım Hikmet has a walnut tree.

5 – PANORAMA 1453 HISTORY MUSEUM
After arriving at Topkapı Stop by Kabataş-Bağcılar metro, you should visit Turkey's first panoramic museum, Panorama 1453 History Museum, located within the borders of Topkapı Culture Park, approximately 150-200 meters away. In this museum, a feast of conquest awaits you, offering magnificent visuals where cannon sounds, mehter music and the neighing of Ottoman horses are used as effects. You are watching the conquest of Istanbul on the walls of Istanbul, miles away, in a large room. There are many places in the world where 360-degree panoramic pictures are displayed in circular form. However, the only place where the entire hemisphere is exhibited in these dimensions by including the sky in the picture is the Panorama 1453 museum. In my opinion, it is a must for places to visit in Istanbul.

6 – BEYAZIT SQUARE, SAAFLAR BAZAAR, GRAND BAZAAR AND EGYPTIAN BAZAAR
You can easily reach Beyazıt Square when you use the Kabataş-Bağcılar metro and get off at the Beyazıt stop. After watching Beyazıt Square and the famous Istanbul University entrance, if you are interested in books, you can visit the famous Booksellers' Bazaar nearby. If you ask any of the tradesmen, they will direct you. This area is also the southwest entrance of the famous Grand Bazaar. Entering the Grand Bazaar from here, you walk in the direction of the Spice Bazaar and Eminönü, wandering around and digesting, and discovering and feeling historical Istanbul. You can reach Eminönü by doing your shopping at the spice shops and dried fruit shops selling all kinds of spices in the lively Spice Bazaar.

7 – FISH BREAD AND GALATA BRIDGE IN EMİNÖNÜ
Eminönü, one of the places to visit on the European side of Istanbul, which was once the most important commercial center of Istanbul, is still frequently visited by a certain audience for electronic goods, watches, household goods and clothing shopping. You can either visit these shops or buy fish and bread from the fancy boats on the beach. After eating your fish bread with the view of Galata Tower in front of you, you can watch the fishermen or have a drink at the cafes under the bridge while passing through the Galata Bridge.

For a more gruesome meal experience, you can enjoy kebabs at Hamdi Restaurant, one of the oldest kebab restaurants in Istanbul, overlooking the unique view stretching from the Galata Tower to the Bosphorus Bridge.

8 – RAHMI KOÇ MUSEUM, HOLIDAY
When we reach the Golden Horn from Eminönü, we meet the Rahmi Koç Museum, one of the most beautiful museums in Istanbul. At the Rahmi Koç Museum, the first important museum dedicated to the history of industry, transportation, industry and communication in Turkey, opened in 1994 with the support of businessman Rahmi Koç, you can tour the nostalgic Fenerbahçe ferry, get on the historical trams and trains, examine classic cars, You can have fun with the interactive experiment sets in the World of Mathematics section.

9 – EYUP SULTAN MOSQUE AND PIERRE LOTI
It is impossible not to visit Eyüp, one of the districts that have come all the way to the Golden Horn and keep the spirit of old Istanbul alive, and Eyüp Sultan Mosque, one of the greatest legacies left by the Ottomans to Istanbul. You can eat Eyüp casserole, which is a kind of mince pita, in the historical Eyüp Sultan Güveççisi, and climb Pierre Loti Hill from here. Sipping your salep or Turkish coffee against the Golden Horn view at the historical Pierre Loti Cafe is a good alternative to enjoy Istanbul.

10 – MINIATURK
From Hagia Sophia to Selimiye, from Rumeli Hisarı to Galata Tower, from Safranbolu Houses to Sümela Monastery, from Amasya Yalıboyu Houses to Nemrut Mountain Ruins in Miniatürk Park, where 128 model works from Turkey and Ottoman geography are exhibited. It is possible to walk around and wave to Beylerbeyi Mansion while crossing the Bosphorus Bridge on foot.

11 – BOSPHORUS, BEŞİKTAŞ, ORTAKOY LINE
In Beşiktaş, after a short tour of Beşiktaş bazaar, you can take the municipal buses to Ortaköy, after wandering around Ortaköy Mosque, you can have tea or coffee in one of the cafes on the beach, or take your kumpir and sit on the benches on the beach. In both options, the first thing that comes to mind when you say Istanbul is the view of the Bosphorus and Ortaköy Mosque at your disposal, it is also wonderful to buy bird food and feed the pigeons :)

12 – KuruÇEŞME, ARNAVUTKÖY, BEBEK AND RUELİ HİSARI
You can walk the Ortaköy-Kuruçeşme-Arnavutköy-Bebek-Rumeli Fortress line, which has the most enjoyable walking route by the Bosphorus, in about 1 hour, and you can enjoy the Bosphorus to the maximum. During the walk, you can take a break at Kuruçeşme Park and Bebek Park, one of the most beautiful parks of Istanbul, which are positioned zero to the Bosphorus. Don't forget to buy ice cream from Bebek's famous mini ice cream shop, which serves in a tiny shop before the Bebek Park break. Another alternative is to have a cup of tea or coffee at Bebek Kahve, which is guaranteed to see the famous sights in Bebek.

13 – EMRGAN KOREAN
While getting so close to Emirgan, a visit to Emirgan Grove awaits those who want to explore the natural places of Istanbul. Emirgan Grove is one of the green and forested places preferred by Istanbulites who want to escape from the chaos of Istanbul and leave the arms of nature at the weekend. In Emirgan Grove and Park, you can take wonderful photos with colorful flowers, trees with special motifs and the view of the Bosphorus, have a picnic, enjoy breakfast in one of the 3 mansions or enjoy eating and drinking at other meals.

14 – DOLMABAHCE PALACE
Dolmabahçe Palace is located between Beşiktaş and Kabataş, on the shores of the Bosphorus, on an area of ​​250 thousand square meters. The most important feature of the palace, which was built during the Ottoman period, is that it was used as a residence by Atatürk during his visits to Istanbul during the Republican period and the Great Leader Atatürk passed away in this palace on November 10, 1938. In this sense, Dolmabahçe Palace is at the top of the historical places to visit in Istanbul, both because it reveals the palace life in the last period of the Ottoman Empire and because it is the house where Atatürk spent his last days. While you are in this area, you can also visit Dolmabahçe Palace.

15 – BEYOĞLU, TAKSİM, GALATA TOWER
After the Ortaköy tour, you can also go to Taksim, one of the touristic places to visit in Istanbul, instead of Kuruçeşme direction. If you are not at the rush hour, it will take you half an hour at most to go to Taksim by bus from Ortaköy. When you come to Taksim, you can walk from Taksim Square to Galatasaray High School along İstiklal Avenue, and you can see cafes and boutiques located on the left and right. Do not forget to buy Beyoğlu chocolate with hazelnuts from Beyoğlu Chocolate Shop. You can visit the Fish Market opposite Galatasaray High School, and have a quick bite to eat kokoreç or mussels at Mercan, one of Istanbul's most famous kokorec shops, at the entrance of the Fish Market. It is also very pleasant to eat and drink something in Nevizade Street or Historical Çiçek Pasajı, which is right next to it. If your stomach is full, you can continue along Istiklal Street until Tünel, even if the old bustling atmosphere is gone, you can reach Tünel by passing through Asmalımescit.

Here you have two options. To get down directly to Karaköy with the tunnel tram or to continue walking and visit the Galata Tower and its surroundings, which have recently become quite beautiful and have become the focus of tourists. You may be surprised at the development and change in this region. Having come this far, it is impossible not to discover the Galata Tower, one of the important symbols of Istanbul. You can climb the Galata Tower, one of the oldest towers in the world, and watch the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus panoramically. Galata Tower entrance fee is 10 TL. The museum card is not valid.

16 – MADAME TUSSAUDS WAX SCULPTURE MUSEUM
It is also a pleasant alternative to visit the newly opened Madame Tussauds center on Istiklal Street while you are in Taksim. From Arda Turan to Hidayet Türkoğlu, from Einstein to Leonardo de Vinci, from Zeki Müren to Madonna, from Justin Bieber to Lady Gaga, from MFÖ to Rihanna, from Adile Naşit in Madame Tussauds You can experience the excitement of touching the stars by having the opportunity to see many famous names together and closely, from Barış Manço, Shek to Hollywood stars.

#turkey#istanbul