Istanbul, like the capital of Turkey, is a city worthy of vacationers' attention: it is best to admire it from the water while on board a pleasure boat: the tourists will see 7 Istanbul hills, on top of which there are majestic mosques - the main decoration of the city. And those who are interested in historical sights should definitely take a walk in Sultanahmet Square.
Top 10 attractions of Istanbul
Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque (accessible to tourists, but not all rooms) has an inner courtyard, in the middle of which there is a fountain for ablutions, as well as a museum (a collection of carpets is subject to inspection). In the interior decoration of the mosque, which is the symbol of Istanbul, ceramic tiles were used, painted with blue and white paints (floral ornament serves as decoration). It should be noted that the main difference between this structure and other mosques is the presence of 6 minarets instead of 4.
Tourists in the summer months should visit the park, located near the mosque, where guests are delighted with sound and light shows.
Hagia Sophia
This structure (it was built of stone, marble, special durable bricks; the walls and ceiling of the structure are decorated with mosaics; famous for the central dome, reaching more than 30 m in diameter) managed to visit both an Orthodox church and a mosque. It is worth noting that in 1935 a museum was opened here, and since 2006, Muslim religious rites have been held again. Since 2020, Hagia Sophia has become a mosque again.
Maiden's Tower
After the reconstruction, the Maiden Tower pleases guests with a souvenir shop, a restaurant (the menu contains traditional Turkish and European dishes), a museum (visitors will be told a fairy tale about the Sultan's daughter, after whom the tower is named, and will also tell them the legend about the girl Gero, who threw herself into the sea with towers, learning about the death of his beloved) and an observation deck from where you can admire the Bosphorus, the European and Asian parts of Istanbul.
Galata tower
The 63-meter Galata Tower has a souvenir shop, a nightclub, a restaurant and an observation deck at a height of 52 m, from where you can admire Istanbul and the Bosphorus.
Valens Aqueduct
The Valenta Aqueduct, another symbol of Istanbul, connected the two city hills and played an important role in the water supply system (water through its pipes entered the city until the middle of the 19th century). Today, a visit to this object (height - 20 m, length - more than 900 m; stones of the walls of Chalcedon were used in the construction), under which Ataturk Boulevard passes, is included in many excursion programs.
