ISTANBUL, TURKEY

We know you're eager for a getaway. We’re focusing on one of the most unique cities that crosses 2 continents, the jewel that is istanbul. after you’re done the main sights, Heres our top 5 things to do.

The Basilica Cistern Museum

One of the magnificent historical structures of Istanbul is the Basilica Cistern, located across the street to the southwest of Hagia Sophia. This large underground cistern, built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527-565), has been named appropriately as the “Sunken Palace” by the public based on the marble columns which look as if they go on forever.

The Basilica Cistern was built in 542 by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian to meet the water needs of the then Great Byzantine Palace on the other side of the Hippodrome.

The Turks did not realize that the cistern had existed for about a century after their conquest until it was discovered that people were catching fish in the water accumulated under their basements by hanging baskets from holes.

Between 1985 and 1988, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality undertook a major restoration effort in the cistern and purged the sludge accumulated in the bottom; a jetty was built all the way to its western most point, and a platform was added in the northeast corner.

The cistern is called the Yerebatan (Sunken) Palace and is 145 meters long and 65 meters wide. It covers an area of approximately 9,800 square meters. It holds 12 rows of brick arch columns, with 28 columns in each row supporting the vaults. Of the 336 columns in total, eight of the columns have been enclosed in a protective sheath in the northern section, and 37 columns in the southwest have been enclosed by an infilled wall.

While the cistern was dry during the last restoration, water has been gradually refilling the cistern, and today there is one to two meters of water.

This wonderful historical structure has also been used for many films including Taken 2, Inferno (from the Da Vinci Code series) and James Bonds Skyfall.

Pera Palace Hotel

With its excellently proportioned, Art-nouveau façade and architecture, and the Orientalist approach Kubbeli Saloon, the hotel was built to charm. It has astonished generations of visitors and performed host to some of history’s most remarkable stories.

Originally started to be built in 1892, Pera Palace Hotel began its journey in 1895, for the purpose of hosting the passengers of the Orient Express, a long-distance passenger train service created in 1883 by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. Under the guidance of renowned architect Alexander Vallaury, an exceptional neo-classical exterior façade and oriental interior ballroom designed with perfect harmony. Since then, Pera Palace Hotel offers excellent leisure with diverse, art-driven places that culminate in a warm crescendo… elegantly displaying the historical sense of Istanbul.

“famous guests like Zsa Zsa Gabor and Ernest Hemingway could appreciate the fun of traveling in the ascending cage up to their room. Crime story novelist Agatha Christie had a favourite place in the hotel – number 411 – which now carries her name. You can relax in the Agatha Christie Room where she seemingly wrote Murder on the Orient Express, or sup in the justly inspired Agatha Restaurant.”

As the first modern hotel in Istanbul to have electricity during the late Ottoman period, Pera Palace Hotel's fame as a leader in improvement was further approved when it was the first hotel to establish an electric lift. With the deluxe assistance of a lift boy, famous guests like Zsa Zsa Gabor and Ernest Hemingway could appreciate the fun of traveling in the ascending cage up to their room. Crime story novelist Agatha Christie had a favourite place in the hotel – number 411 – which now carries her name. You can relax in the Agatha Christie Room where she seemingly wrote Murder on the Orient Express, or sup in the justly inspired Agatha Restaurant.

Other notable names stayed at the hotel are including Ismet Inonu, Celal Bayar, King VIII. Edward, Queen II. Elizabeth, Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph, Shah Reza Pahlavi, President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito, General Franz von Papen, Greta Garbo, Sarah Bernhardt, Alfred Hitchcock, Pierre Loti, Jacqueline Kennedy, Ninette de Valois, Mata Hari, Cicero and Mikis Theodorakis.

Mikla Restaurant

Mikla opened in October 2005. The initial idea was to create a refined but contemporary “Istanbullu” Restaurant. Both the menu and the general feel of the restaurant reflect the Turkish-Scandinavian background of Mehmet Gürs, the Chef-Owner who pioneered the contemporary restaurant scene in Istanbul when he moved here in 1996. With its outstanding food, breathtaking view, proper service and inspiring music, Mikla was instantly voted best restaurant in Istanbul and continues to enjoy raving local and international reviews.

At the end of an extensive research and dedicated creative process, in this new approach, traditional and true ‘noble’ products are treated with utmost respect while being transformed with a blend of new and ancient techniques.

Ingredients from Istanbul and throughout Turkey are carefully sourced and selected, “mostly humble”, not necessarily fancy, but they are interpreted with the utmost respect. At the core of each search lies an understanding of the land, its traditions, and its people.

Located on the roof top floor of the fashionable “The Marmara Pera” hotel, “Mikla is urban, sleek and stylish. The restaurant is funky retro with chrome 70’s and 50’s furniture and a stunning wooden rail-sleepers bar.” The magical views over the city stretch to the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace where you almost travel back through time to the heart of the Old Istanbul.

Mikla has been on The Worlds 50 Best Restaurant list since 2015.

Bosporus Cruise

By taking a Bosporus cruise tour, visitors can enjoy what Istanbul has to offer from a different angle. You can either choose the traditional Şehir Hatları, Istanbul’s official ferry company, or a private cruise company. Private Bosporus cruise tours can be taken from central spots such as Ortaköy, Kabataş, Beşiktaş, Avcılar, Arnavutköy and Üsküdar. Şehir Hatları offers Short Circle Bosporus and Full Bosporus Cruises. Ferryboats depart every day from the Eminönü docks. The Full Bosporus Cruise by Night departs from Bostancı but operates only on Saturdays.

The one-way full Bosporus tour takes about one and a half to two hours, including a break in Anadolu Kavağı. In private tours, the ferry stops at Anadolu Kavağı for nearly three hours, allowing passengers to disembark and enjoy the seaside neighborhood. Şehir Hatları tours do not include any breaks. They offer various vessels that are available during specific hours for both directions to give visitors more freedom. Bosporus tours at night generally lasts longer than the other tours. Some private tours include meal options and may take up to four and a half hours depending on the departure points. Şehir Hatları’s Full Bosporus Cruise by Night is only available on Saturdays. It takes passengers from Bostancı all the way to Anadolu Kavağı and back within two and a half hours

Visit a Turkish Bath

A Turkish bath is the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of Istanbul. The hammam, also known as the Turkish bath, is a place for bathing, cleansing, and relaxation. A staple in the Ottoman culture, the Turkish bath operates using a special mechanism that runs hot and cold water. The Ottoman Empire’s tradition of public bathing dates back thousands of years, with each Sultan commissioning a hammam to be built. The most prominent Turkish baths were built by Mimar Sinan, the chief Ottoman architect.

The Cağaloğlu Hamam

The Cağaloğlu Hamam is a double Turkish bath built in the new Baroque style in 1741 during the reign of Mahmud I. The cool room and the tepidity room in the Cağaloğlu Hamam feature a different style than that of other Turkish baths with classical Ottoman architecture. The 300-year-old bath boasts separate sections for men and women. Listed as one of the ‘1,000 Places to See Before You Die’ in the New York Times bestseller by Patricia Schultz, the Cağaloğlu Hamam is the last hammam to be built in the Ottoman Empire.

Address: Prof. Kazım İsmail Gürkan Cad. No: 24 Cağaloğlu, Eminönü/Istanbul

Suleymaniye Hamam

Still standing since 1557, this bath is one of the most recognizable sights in Istanbul with its main dome, flanked by semi-domes. The bath was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent and designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan. Sinan considers this building as his “apprenticeship work.” In addition to the bath, the Süleymaniye Mosque was designed as a “külliye”, an Islamic complex with adjacent structures to service both religious and cultural needs. Located in Beyazıt, this bath is comprised of three sections.

Address: Mimar Sinan Caddesi No: 20. Süleymaniye/Istanbul

Çinili Hamam

The historical Çinili Hamam was commissioned by Kösem Sultan, the wife of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I, in 1640. Unfortunately, Kösem Sultan was unable to see the bath finished so one of her siblings stepped in to complete its construction. This historical bath housed many photographers and, thanks to its striking beauty, it has been featured in many TV series and art projects. With its high-domed male and female sections, the Çinili Hamam remains in service. It offers traditional body scrubbing, bubble massage and oil massage.

Address: Valide-i Atik Mh., 34664 Üsküdar/Istanbul

The Historical Gedikpaşa Bath

A signature building of the Ottoman architecture, the Historical Gedikpaşa Bath was commissioned by Gedik Ahmet Pasha in 1475. Located near the Grand Bazaar, The Gedikpaşa is the only historical bath that houses a sauna right next to the navel stone, the heated marble platform at the center. It is among the double baths of Istanbul, with both female and male sections.

Address: Hamam Cad. No: 65–67 Gedikpaşa/Istanbul

The Historical Galatasaray Hamam

The Historical Galatasaray Hamam was commissioned in 1484 by Beyazıt II, who reigned for many years, to fulfill the wish of Gül Baba, an Ottoman Bektashi dervish poet. Boasting a colossal design, the bath is popular among tourists. A significant architectural heritage of the Ottoman Empire, the bath served many pashas, kadis, grand viziers and sultans.

Address: Turnacıbaşı Sokak, No: 24 Galatasaray–Beyoğlu/Istanbul

Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamam

Named after one of the most prominent figures in Ottoman maritime history, Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamam has become a symbol of Tophane, a district on the European side of Istanbul. A Mimar Sinan design, the bath was relaunched in 2012 following meticulous restoration. The building is thought to have been built between 1578 and 1583. It is notable because it contains the second-largest dome in Istanbul and semi-domes adorned with translucent elephant eyes. Outside the bath is a small souvenir shop that you can visit.

Address: Kemankeş Mah. Hamam Sok. No: 1 34425 Tophane Karaköy/Istanbul

Çemberlitaş Hamam

Çemberlitaş is another historical bath located near the Grand Bazaar. Built by Mimar Sinan in 1584 to Nur Banu Sultan’s specifications, Çemberlitaş is a double hammam with both male and female sections. Çemberlitaş was once named “Valide Sultan” and “Gül Hamamı.” In Seyahatname, his travelogue, Evliya Çelebi refers to the bath as “Hammam of Murat III.” The navel stones in some baths are adorned with Ottoman inscriptions. The historical building serves many international and domestic tourists, and offers a pleasing bathing experience.

Address: Vezirhan Cad. No: 8, Çemberlitaş/Istanbul