Home of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years, Topkapi Sarayi ("Palace of the Cannon Gate") was the seraglio, the heart of the vast Ottoman Empire, ruled by the monarch who lived in Topkapi's hundreds of rooms with hundreds of concubines, children, and white and black servants.Because Topkapi is No. 1 on everyone's list of Istanbul sights, get there when it opens (usually 9 am; closed Tuesday; TL20 admission fee for adults) and go straight to the Harem (additional TL15 admission fee). Once accessible only by guided tour, you can now wander through the Harem on your own, as you choose; but only a certain number of visitors are allowed at one time, so go there first to avoid more »
The Sultanahmet district is the heart of historic Old Istanbul, what 19th-century travelers used to call "Stamboul." This is where you'll find Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia), the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii), the Byzantine Hippodrome, Yerebatan Saray (Sunken Palace Cistern), the Istanbul Archeological Museums, Great Palace Mosaic Museum, and several lesser sights (see map below). It's your best base for sightseeing in Istanbul. For a rundown on things to see, go to Istanbul Sights. (Here's a good, inexpensive guided walking tour.) Luckily for visitors, the district of Sultanahmet (sool-tahn-ah-MEHT, named for Sultan Ahmet I, builder of the B more »
Istanbul's Byzantine Hippodrome was the heart of Constantinople's political and sporting life, and the scene of games and riots through 500 years of Ottoman history as well (map). It's now a calm city park called the At Meydani (Horse Grounds) because of its function in Ottoman times. Yerebatan Saray, the Sunken Palace Cistern, is beneath the little park at the northern end of the Hippodrome. Above the hidden cistern is a stone tower that was once part of the city's system of aqueducts. Beside the stone tower is the Milion, the zero-mile-marker on the road called the Mese, the Roman road between Constantinope and Rome. The street is now calle more »
ISTANBUL IN ONE DAY Istanbul's top sights are grouped right around the Hippodrome in Sultanahmet Square, so you can visit them all on your first (or only) day. MORNING Topkapi Palace(9-5, closed Tuesday; stay 2-3 hr). Get there at 8:45 am and go straight to the Harem, which gets overcrowded. Ayasofya-Hagia Sophia(9-4, closed Monday; stay 1 hr). Right next to Topkapi. Don't miss the best mosaics, on the upper level. LUNCH nearby on more »
The first national park in Turkey was established in 1958. Since then their numbers have increased to 39. Some of these parks, which were initially established for archaeological and historical purposes are at the same time rich habitats where biological diversity is being protected. The Olympos - Bey Mountains National Park in the province of Antalya in the Mediterranean region, for example, contains a wealth of flora and fauna, which are either endemic or relic distributions, in addition to important archaeological ruins. The Koprulu Canyon National Park in the same province is the home of Cupressus sempervirens forests. Natural forests of this tree no longer occur elsewhere in the world. more »
- 12 Nov 2009 10:26
- Ankara - Kizilcahamam, Afyon - Hudayi, Afyon - Orucoglu, Afyon - Gazligol, Afyon - Omer and Gecek, Balikesir - Gonen, Bingol - Kos, Bolu - Karacasu, Bursa - Cekirge, Bursa - Oylat, Canakkale - Kestanbol, Denizli - Pamukkale and Karahayit
Turkey is one of the 7 countries in the world in terms of thermal source richness with almost 1300 thermal springs throughout Anatolia. Of course the existence of seismic faults make the country very rich in this aspect. The temperature of these hot springs varies between 20-110 degrees Celsius (68-230 Fahrenheit), and their flow is between 2-500 liters per second. Turkey is using only a small percentage of the country's potential in terms of mineral springs, but today the Ministry of Tourism and private investors are contributing more to Turkey's map of spa tourism. Ankara - Kizilcahamam (ph: 6.52-7.6) It is located 86 km from Ankara at 975 meters above sea level. more »
By Air Various Airlines have regular flights to Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya, Adana, Trabzon and Dalaman, from the major capitals and cities of the world. International airlines: Most international airlines have regular flights between the major cities of the world and Turkey. By Sea Passenger Ferries: Apart from the numerous cruises in the Mediterranean sea, several foreign shipping companies have regular services to the ports of Trabzon, Samsun, Istanbul, Dikili, Izmir, Cesme, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Marmaris, Antalya, Alanya, Mersin and Iskenderun. Car Ferries: There are several car ferries for tourists who wish to take their cars more »
Galata is located at the north side of the Golden Horn, towards Taksim Square. Galata was surrounded by walls, constructed by the Genoese, until the 19th century. These walls started at Azapkapi near the Golden Horn. The Galata Tower was the northernmost observation tower and the walls go down to Tophane from this point. Its name was "Sykai" (Fig field) during the Byzantine period. It also was called "Peran en Sykais" in Greek, which means fig field of the other side. Its name "Pera" which was used by the Levantines came from this origin. The origin of Galata was either "galaktos" (milk) in Greek or "calata" (stairway) in Italian. Galata is on the European side of more »
Established at time of the conquest, Eyup was Istanbul's first Ottoman Turkish settlement. The district is located beyond the city walls on the south bank of the Golden Horn and takes its name from the tomb of Eyyub al Ensari, a companion of the prophet Mohammed, who is believed to have died there during the Muslim siege of Istanbul in the 7th century. Eyup began to develop shortly after the conquest. The first tangible sing of this were the tomb that Sultan Mehmed, the Conqueror, had built over the grave of Eyyub el-Ensari after his mentor, Aksemseddin, saw the place in a dream and beside it a mosque. The first settlers were from Bursa and the first eight neighborhoods given more »
Inaugurated in 1883 by a French railway company, the Orient Express soon became the stuff legends are made of. Originally traveling from Paris through Munich, Vienna and Sophia to the Sirkeci station of Constantinople, passengers could continue the journey, traveling by boat across the Bosphorus to the Haydarpasa Railway Station to join the Taurus Express to Anatolia or even to Bagdad. But ususally many passengers decided to stay at the Pera Palas hotel for their vacation. Altho more »
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