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TOPKAPI PALACE MUSEUM
Topkapı Palace constructed by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, (the Conqueror) in 1478 has been the official residence of the Otoman Sultans and center of State Administration around 380 years until the construction of Dolmabahçe Palace by Sultan Abdülmecid. The palace having around 700.000 m.² area during the foundation years has currently 80.000 m.² area.
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HAGIA SOPHIA MUSEUM
Hagia Sophia, which is considered as one of the eight wonders of the world, also occupies a prominent place in the history of art and architecture. It is one of the rare works of this size and age that has survived to our day. The church (called Ayasofya in Turkish) is erroneously known as Saint Sophia in the west. The basilica was not dedicated to a saint named Sophia, but to Divine Wisdom. St. Sophia has been an inspiration for Ottoman mosques thought in idea, and is reviewed as a product of east-west synthesis. St. Sophia served for 916 years as church and 481 years as mosque since its year of construction. Hagia Sophia was turned into a museum in 1935.
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DOLMABAHCE PALACE
Built in the reign of Sultan I Abdulmecit during the 19th century, this over-ornate palace lies along the European coast of the Bosphorus. Dolmabahce Palace was constructed between 1843 and 1856, mixing different European artistic influences and built by Abdulmecit’s architect, Karabet Balya. It was built over three levels, and symmetrically planned, with 285 chambers and 43 halls. The palace has a level of luxury not present in most other palaces, with walls and ceilings decorated with gold, and European art from the period. Top quality silk and wool carpets, southeast Asian hand-made artifacts, and crystal candlesticks adorn every room. The men’s hamam (public bath) is adorned with alabaster marble, and the harem also contains the Sultan’s bedrooms and the women and servants’ divisions.
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GRAND BAZAAR
One could only visit Istanbul for the shopping alone. The Grand Bazaar in the old city is the logical place to start. Charming souvenirs and gifts can be selected from among Turkish crafts, the world-renowed carpets, gold jewelry, brillant handpainted ceramics. The Old Bedesten offers a curious assortment of antiques. *Spice Bazaar*, next to the Yeni Mosque at Eminonu, transports you to fantasies from the mystical East. Sultanahmet has become another shopping center in the old city. The Bazaar of Istanbul Arts, The Arasta (Old Bazaar) of the Sultanahmet Mosque a thriving shopping arcade makes both shopping and sightseeing Istanbul very convenient.
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BLUE MOSQUE
One of the largest of Istanbul's structures, the complex includes a mosque, medresses, the sultan's chamber, shops of tradesmen, a hamam, a public fountain with a spout, a mausoleum, a hospital, a soup kitchen and a primary school. Some of these survived to the present. The complex was built (1609-1617) by the architect Mehmet Aga for Sultan Ahmet I. The mosque is located in the centre of the complex and referred to as 'Blue Mosque' on account of the roughly 20,000 blue glazed tiles which covered its exterior.
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UNDERGROUND CISTERN
Underground Cistern which is also known as Yerebatan Palace was built in app. 540 A.D. by the Emperor Justinianos I of the Byzantine Empire. A big square was dug underneath the ground and it was supported by 300 columns. At the time, it was the most important water storage area and provided water to the whole city. Its exotic and unbelievable appreance make the cistern an irresistable attraction.
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
Istanbul Archaeological Museum is one of the most important museums of its kind in the world. Constructed by the architect Alexandre Vallaury (also, the architect of our hotel) and founded as a museum during the Ottoman Period, in 1981. The museum collection includes a number of findings from various parts of the Ottoman empire, including Mesopotamia and Anatolia to Arab Peninsula and Afghanistan that were in the borders of the Ottoman Empire, and in particular such monuments as the Alexander’s Tomb, the tomb of the Weeping Maidens and the Lycian Tomb found at Sayda in Syria in 1891. Besides its importance as the “first Turkish museum”, it has an importance and specialty of being one of the museum buildings that are constructed as a Museum in the World. Today, it still protects its outstanding place in the World’s biggest museums with its works more than a million belonging to various cultures
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KARIYE MUSEUM
The St. Savior in Chora Church in Istanbul is one of the finest preserved galleries of Byzantine mosaics as well as a detailed account of early Christian history. Besides its attractive exterior, the mosaics and frescoes inside are considered masterpieces of the Byzantine "renaissance". These decorations and the additions made in the 14th century were ordered by Theodore Metochites. Mosaic panels in the two narthexes at the entrance depict the lives of the Virgin and Christ in the chronological order described in the Bible.
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MAIDEN'S TOWER
This small and attractive tower is on a tiny island at the entrance to Istanbul's harbor. The tower is considered as one of the most romantic symbols of Istanbul. The first tower was constructed in the 12th century, used as a watchtower and a lighthouse, it has been preserved in its 19th Century appearance. It serves as a landmark for ships entering the Bosphorus and will be used for touristic purposes. Western sources have erroneously attributed the tower to Leander, who drowned as he was trying to swim to his lover Hero. Actually, this mythological story took place in the Dardanelles. According to another story, an emperor once dreamt that his daughter was going to die because of a snake bite and settled the girl in this tower to ensure her safety. Nevertheless, the tragedy could not be averted and the girl was bitten by a snake hidden in a fruit basket.
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BEYLERBEYI PALACE
Beylerbeyi, where the Asian pillar of the Bosphorus Bridge sits, is a pleasant district that has been reserved for palaces since the Byzantine era. Beylerbeyi Palace was built by Sultan Abdulmecid between 1861-1865 on the site of another wooden mansion. Beylerbeyi Palace was a summer palace, more particularly used for the entertainment of representatives of foreign states, including the Prince of Serbia, the King of Montenegro and the French Empress Eugénie among its guests. Sultan Abdülhamid spent his last years in the palace after his deposition and was here, in 1918, that he died. Its unique architectural monument reflects the imperial art and culture of the last Ottoman period. It displays neo-classical influences in its façade and Turkish and Moroccan influences in its interior decoration, while its plan resembles that of the traditional Turkish House. together with the basement, consists a three-storey building, containing six salons and twenty-four rooms.
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ISTANBUL MODERN MUSEUM
İstanbul Modern, the first private museum devoted to modern and contemporary art in Turkey, was founded in 2004 in order to promote wider enjoyment and understanding of modern art among the public. Located beside the Bosporus, the strait separating Europe from Asia, the museum brings together the İstanbul cityscape with the production of arts ranging from painting, sculpture, and photography to video and new media. The museum aims to collect, preserve, and exhibit modern and contemporary art and to provide a venue fostering the integration of the visual arts with the rich cultural spectrum of Turkey.
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SAKIP SABANCI MUSEUM
Sakıp Sabancı Museum is located in Emirgan, at one of Istanbul's oldest settlements on the Bosphorus. In 1927 Prince Mehmed Ali Hasan of the Hidiv family of Egypt commissioned the Italian architect Edouard De Nari to build the villa, now the museum's main building, and it was used as a summer house for many years by various members of the Hidiv family; for a short time it also served as the Montenegran Embassy.After the mansion was purchased in 1950 by industrialist Hacı Ömer Sabancı from Prince Iffet, a member of the Hidiv family, it came to be known as "Atlı Köşk", The Horse Mansion, because of the statue of a horse (purchased in the same year) that was installed in the garden; the statue is the 1864 work of the French sculptor Louis Doumas. The museum presents a versatile museological environment with its rich permanent collection, the comprehensive temporary exhibitions that it hosts, its conservation units, model educational programs and the various concerts, conferences and seminars held there.
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RAHMI M. KOC MUSEUM
The Rahmi M Koç Museum is the first major museum in Turkey dedicated to the history of Transport, Industry and Communications. Housed in magnificent buildings - themselves prime examples of industrial archaeology - on the shore of the historic Golden Horn, the collection contains thousands of items from gramophone needles to full size ships and aircraft.
