Top 5 Tourist Attractions in Istanbul

By
Lilly E
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Photo by Damla Özkan on Unsplash

A unique city standing on two continents, Istanbul is a popular tourist destination with plenty of things to do and see. It was founded around 1000 BC and you can still witness majestic historical sights. Once named Constantinople, the city got its current name after the founding of the Turkish Republic.

Here are the top 5 major attractions you shouldn’t miss when in Istanbul. Also, if you have the chance, explore the rest of Turkey!

Hagia Sophia

A former Greek Orthodox Christian basilica, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum.

Topkapı Palace

In the 15th century, it served as the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans and it is now a museum.

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Blue Mosque

Historic mosque built in the 17th century and still functions as a mosque.

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#FollowMeTo… the #BlueMosque, #Sultanahmet, #Istanbul, Turkey. . . We just returned from an amazing trip to Turkey, and I can’t wait to share some of the pictures we took! Of course I have to start with a picture of one of the most iconic sites in Turkey, the Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. The mosque was constructed during the Ottoman Empire between 1609 and 1616 , and although it is one of Istanbul’s top tourist spots and a Unesco World Heritage Site, it remains a fully functioning mosque today. . . #thebluemosque #mosque #turkish #travelturkey #bestplacestogo #Turkiye #ig_istanbul #ig_turkey #ramadan #travelbloggers #iamtb #voyaged #oneistanbul #turkishfollowers #discoveristanbul #topturkeyphoto #allshotsturkey #tkmoments #everywhereturkey #turkshutter #istanbulcity #turkey_home #turkinstagram

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Grand Bazaar

One of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops.

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Basilica Cistern

Located beneath the city of Istanbul was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.