As an Imperial city, İstanbul hosts several historical Turkish Baths, mostly in the Historical Peninsula, Sultanahmet area. Ottoman Turks inherited the Roman bath concept—architecture and tradition. Hammams serve men and women, either in separate sections or at separate hours. 

İstiklal Avenue is a must see attraction for all visitors visiting İstanbul. İstiklal Avenue is a 1.5-kilometer-long colorful pedestrian street and magnificent boulevard that runs through Beyoğlu and is lined with stores, restaurants, cafés, and street performances. It is situated near Taksim Square. The İstiklal Avenue tram is a vintage tram that traverses the length of the street. İstiklal Avenue is also one of İstanbul’s top tourist attractions.

Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest and largest covered bazaars of the world, with more than 4000 shops spread across 64 streets. Opened in 1461, it has been expanded to its today’s size throughout centuries. Jewellery shops, carpet and leather goods stores, tiles, towels, genuine crafts, pashminas and local fabric stores and souvenir shops can be found in this amazing labyrinth of shops. 

Balat is a modest region with its colorful houses and narrow stone-paved streets. Trendy cafes and hip galleries share the same streets with the neighborhood’s old-school grocery stores. Buildings such as the basilica of the Ecumenical Greek Patriarchate, synagogues and Byzantine churches; It reflects the cosmopolitan characteristics of the region, which hosts Jewish, Greek and Armenian communities. Chora Museum has golden mosaics and colorful frescoes

A 14th century Genoese tower, Galata Tower is the city’s oldest standing still tower in its original form, and offers a 360-degree observing platform with the best views. As one of İstanbul’s most popular symbols, it is in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List and considered among the oldest towers in the world. 

Basilica Cistern located in the southwest of Hagia Sofia, is constructed by Byzantine Emperor Justinian, in 6th c BCE. It is a big underground water reservoir is called as “Yerebatan Cistern” among the public because of the underground marble columns.

İstanbul Modern was founded in 2004 as Türkiye’s first museum of modern and contemporary art. Committed to sharing Türkiye’s artistic creativity and cultural identity with the local and international art worlds, the museum hosts a broad array of interdisciplinary activities. A permanent collection and temporary exhibition halls, photography gallery, video area, library, cinema, educational activities, store, and café provide a comprehensive space for living that invites visitors both to witness what is produced and to produce themselves. İstanbul Museum of Modern Art is located in its temporary space in Beyoğlu until the original site construction is completed in Karaköy.

İstanbul Archaeological Museums are a complex of museums located down the slope from Topkapı’s First Court, or up the hill from the main gate of Gülhane Park. 

The complex consists of three main units: 

The Archaeological Museum (Arkeoloji Müzesi), The Museum of Ancient Oriental Works (Eski Şark Eserleri Müzesi), The Tiled Kiosk Museum (Çinili Köşk). These three separate main units are located in the same garden İstanbul Archaeological Museum, first regular museum appearing in the history of Ottoman Empire and in Türkiye, has about a million artifacts from a variety of cultures, brought from the imperial lands. 

Çukurcuma is home to beautiful furniture and antiques in İstanbul. The old houses in Çukurcuma have been restored and now serve as antique shops. Visitors may find variety of nice antiques in Çukurcuma such as 19th century Ottoman embroidery, nostalgic biscuit boxes from 1950s, antique paintings and prints and more.

The 400-year-old Spice Bazaar is located down the hill from Sultanahmet in Eminönü district, at the shores of the Sea of Marmara, right across the Galata Bridge. Comprising of more than 80 stores selling spices and herbs, teas, natural remedies, dried nuts, and fruits, it is the center of rich scents and delicacies. There are also some beautiful souvenir shops in the Spice Bazaar offering a variety of original objects.

Separating the waterway between Asia and Europe is a unique experience of enjoying the cruise, taking photographs of the city, palaces, wooden mansions from the water while cruising below the bridges of İstanbul. 

Topkapı Palace is located at the tip of the historical peninsula in Sultanahmet district. The palace is one of the iconic structures of İstanbul. Topkapı Palace was the administrative, educational and artistic centre of the Ottoman Empire for approximately 400 years from Fatih Sultan Mehmet to the 31st Sultan Abdülmecid, as well as housing the dynasty. Sultanahmet Mosque Sultanahmet Mosque, or as it is best known in the West, the“Blue Mosque,” presents visitors with the best examples of the famous İznik tiles. The mosque was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Sultan Ahmed I. Like other imperial mosques in İstanbul, it comprises the tomb of the founder, a madrasa and a hospice within the courtyard.

Kızkulesi, the Maiden’s Tower, is located on a small islet on the Bosphorus, 150-200 metres off the shore of the Salacak district in Üsküdar. Apart from its history, this 2500-year-old tower has been the subject of many legends. The tower often mistakenly named Leander’s Tower in reference to the legend of Hero and Leander. The Maiden’s Tower has been used for many different purposes over time, such as a tax collection area frommerchantman, a defence tower, and a lighthouse. It has undergone renovations and presently functions as a restaurant and a café open to the public owned by a private company.

Ayasofya Grand Mosque, known as Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi is a masterpiece with its innovative architecture, rich history, religious significance and extraordinary characteristics as the largest Eastern Roman Church built. It was reopened as a museum in 1934 and served as a museum with no religious practice. Hagia Sophia was reopened to worship as Ayasofya Grand Mosque with the Presidential Decree in July 2020 and it serves as the world heritage of mankind as a whole.

Located on the shores of the Bosphorus, it is a 19th century residence of Ottoman Sultans built in diversity of European architectural styles. The palace is now open for visitors with the best examples of Imperial Turkish carpets and chandeliers from Europe, fine wood furniture and rich decoration items such as clocks, vases.

The Historic Areas of İstanbul located on the Historical Peninsula were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985, and continue to this day to impress visitors with their history and importance. Sultanahmet Square is the heart of the Historical Peninsula and in its vicinity, one can find the most prominent examples of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture. The area’s main sites include: Ayasofya Grand Mosque, Topkapı Palace and Harem, Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque, the Hippodrome and Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan).