No one has ever gotten bored in Turkish Istanbul! Mosques and temples, colorful oriental bazaars and coffee houses, towers and palaces, bridges and gorgeous views - the city leaves the most pleasant impression on everyone, without exception.
Feeling the spirit of Istanbul in 4 days and learning to understand it is a very real task for those who are not used to sitting in a hotel room.
Recreation and entertainment in Istanbul
The main pearls of the Istanbul crown
Thinking over the route, it is worth starting with the most important architectural and cultural treasures of the city that connected Europe and Asia:
- Topkapi Palace, where you can immerse yourself in history, admire magnificent views and enjoy the contemplation of unique treasures. Built in the middle of the 15th century, the palace has long served as the residence of the Ottoman rulers.
- The Blue Mosque, which can be seen from many points of the city. Elegant and luxurious, simple and intricate, the mosque serves as an adornment of the streets of Istanbul and it is to it that the path of everyone who arrives in Istanbul for 4 days leads. The blue shimmer of ancient frescoes and tiles, the coolness of gray marble fascinate and give the structure a delicacy and lightness. In the dark, the mosque is illuminated and looks even more beautiful.
- Hagia Sophia is one of the grandest structures on the planet. Built in the 6th century and previously serving as a patriarchal Orthodox cathedral, the temple was the largest in the Orthodox world for more than a thousand years, until it gave way to the Roman Cathedral of St. Peter.
- Basilica Cistern, where the twilight is permeated with lights, and the line to the wish-fulfilling column does not decrease by a meter. The best hours to visit are early morning and evening, when organized tourist groups do not interfere with the leisurely and quiet contemplation of the mystical place with amazing acoustics.
Top 10 attractions of Istanbul
Cruise for several hours
An excellent opportunity to see Istanbul from the water opens up during a cruise on the Bosphorus. From here you can see how strikingly different the European districts of the city are from its eastern streets. Mosque minarets soar into the blue sky like candles, and in the evening, purple twilight falls on the city, and Istanbul lights millions of colored lights.
Dinners in Istanbul can be organized in any part of the city, but the most colorful fish restaurants are open on the Galata Bridge near the tower of the same name. Strong coffee, oriental sweets and great fruit and ice cream desserts are included!
Updated: 2020.02.
