More than a century after it served its first passenger, the station is still the departure point for European destinations, such as Greece and Romania. Travelers can dine at the Oriental Express Restaurant before departure or visit the Istanbul Railway Museum to reflect on the rich history of the now weathered building. Neglect and time have rendered the terminal in sore need of restoration, but the site still scratches the romantic, Orientalist itch.

Over its long history, the tower has been variously used as a shipyard warehouse, a prison (during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent), a lighthouse, and a fire lookout tower. In the 1630s, Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi is said to have glided from the top of the tower to the Asian side, thus achieving the first unpowered flight in human history. Today, the 12-story structure is a tourist site that affords a wonderful panoramic view of the city, both across the Golden Horn and up the Bosphorus. On a clear day you can see as far as the Princes’ Islands, and the tower also has a café and restaurant where you can enjoy the view over a meal or Turkish coffee, with fasıl (traditional Turkish classical music) and dancing in the evenings.

The name of this church translates as the first day of the month, and the tradition is for people to go to this church on the first day of a month to make a wish. Once you go, you light a candle, make a wish, take a key that represents your wish, and carry that key on yourself until your wish comes true. Once your wish comes true, you return the key to the church.

Rüstem Paşa Mosque, byMadeleine Pelletier

The first impression you have upon entering the mosque is one of light and open space and elegance. Even the women’s area, which is usually a small closed-off area in traditional mosques, is a spacious balcony separated from the rest of the space only by criss-crossing rails to allow the women at prayer a view of the stunning chandelier.

The large asymmetrical chandelier is covered in small suspended glass globes shaped like drops of water. The design references a prayer that Allah’s light should fall on worshippers like rain. The rings of the chandelier also have the 99 names of God written on them. The large windows on three sides of the prayer hall allow sunlight to filter in and are inscribed with gold designs that make them look like pages from the Qur’an. The gracefully curving minbar is made of cream-colored acrylic and is covered with an elegant design of leaves and carnations that represents the universe and looks like calligraphy from a distance. The prominent mihrab is a vibrant turquoise and gold, and was inspired, like the wrought iron grills on the windows, by historical Selçuk patterns.

The outside of the mosque is no less innovative. Its sleek, metallic form and dark grey stones complement and contrast with the light and space inside.

How to Get There:

This mosque is located directly across the street from the Zeynep Kamil Hastanesi bus stop on one of the main roads that run from Üsküdar to Kadıköy. Take the 12A bus from either direction and you will reach it easily. Alternatively, it's a fairly short taxi ride from either Üsküdar or Kadıköy.

With its unusual exterior and grandeur, the building is quite eye-catching. Constructed at the beginning of the 20^thcentury, this 10-floor building is widely known as Perili Köşk (Haunted Mansion), and has been serving as the headquarters of Borusan Holding since 2007.

In September 2011, Borusan Holding launched an innovative art project called Borusan Contemporary, turning the headquarters into an office-museum, granting access to visitors to see their incredible permanent contemporary art collection as well as temporary exhibitions on weekends. Apart from some notepads, phones, family photographs, and personal libraries, employees clear away everything on their desks so that visitors can enter the Haunted Mansion and walk around the admirable office-turned-exhibition-space.

The venue is also home to BC Shop, a gift shop that sells a wide variety of items in parallel with the permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, arts books, IKSV design objects, and more.

Originally the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, this 6^th century building was converted into a mosque in the 15^th century. Located in a quiet, residential neighborhood southwest of the main Sultanahmet attractions, the mosque is often incorrectly identified as the miniature of the Hagia Sophia. In fact, several architectural elements, such as the shape of the dome, distinguish them.

Its brick-and-mortal exterior is typical of the early Byzantine style, but the mosque’s outstanding design features lies inside. Seven pairs of marble columns support the main floor and upper gallery. Above the columns, a low-relief, Greek inscription is dedicated to St. Sergius, patron saint of Roman soldiers, as well as Justinian I and his wife Theodora.

The courtyard houses an ablution station as well as former dervish lodges that are now used as artisans’ studios. The mosque was restored and reopened for worship in 2006.

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Küçük Aya Sofya; by Will Washburn

The Hagia Irene or “Holy Peace” basilica, located right by the Hagia Sophia,was an Orthodox church that is now a museum and a performance hall. The 6^th century Byzantine structure is often referenced as the first church to be built in Constantinople, commissioned by Constantine I and later restored to its present form by Justinian I. It was incorporated into the Topkapı Palace complex by the Ottomans, who used it as an armory and warehouse.

Typical of early Byzantine architecture, the domed Roman basilica was originally decorated with tile mosaics, none of which remain. Under the influence of Iconoclasm, the church lacks religious iconography; the great cross over the main narthex may have replaced an earlier iconic representation.

Today the church is used for music performances, most notably hosting some concerts of the Istanbul Music Festival.

The Bosphorus tours leave from the dock by the Dolmabahçe Palace and take you along the Bosphorus strait, showing you the old palaces. The Golden Horn tours leave from the dock near Haliç Kongre Merkezi to show you the old city. You can choose to have a group tour or a private tour. The private tours can leave from any dock of your choosing. Call in advance to make a reservation.

The station is of course a prime sightseeing destination for any train enthusiast, but should appeal to others too; the interior is an interesting contrast to the Germanic exterior with its semi-domed ceiling and tiles, and the hubbub of the station is exciting even if you’re not about to catch the express to deepest parts of Anatolia!

Toted as Istanbul’s first industrial archaeology museum, The Energy Museum, located within the Santral Istanbul complex, houses the two engine rooms of the former Silahtarağa Power Station. Ottoman Empire’s first power plant that was closed in 1983, the station was converted into an education, culture and arts complex in 2007.

The engine rooms, built in 1919 and 1921 respectively, are monuments to Turkey’s industrial heritage; while some elements of the exhibit have been restored to reflect historical qualities, much of the space has been preserved in its condition at the time of decommissioning. Visitors can see the turbines that were the sole providers of power to Istanbul through the 1950s.

The museum also includes the Control Room, where the power generation was monitored and then distributed to different districts of the city. The lower level hosts an interactive children’s area, the Energy Play Zone, where youngsters are encouraged to pull levers and generate their own electricity.

Opened in 2011, the museum is home to more than 40,000 items from Ottoman palaces that reveal the daily lives of the later sultans and their families. Drawn from more contemporary palaces, such as Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi, the artifacts include kitchenware, carpets, hearth tools, and more. Only displaying items from the 19^th century on, the museum is a quotidian window on the last years on the Empire. Located near the Beşiktaş pier, the museum is next to the Dolmabahçe Palace complex.

Visitors are only allowed to view the interior of the palace on guided tours, so you will have to wait for a specific slot. Of particular interest are the Selamlık (administrative section), the Harem (living quarters for the Sultan’s family), and the palace’s magnificent crystal staircase, which is built of Baccarat crystal, brass, and mahogany, and is in the shape of a double horseshoe. Other noteworthy areas are the opulent study room, the alabaster baths, and the throne room. The façade of the palace can also be viewed fleetingly when taking a ferry on the Bosphorus.

The three-story palace has more than two dozen rooms including six staterooms, and is lavishly furnished with exquisite Bohemian crystal chandeliers, French clocks and porcelain vases from Turkey, China, Japan and France.

The Cistern is the size of a cathedral, and is reached by descending 52 stairs. There are 336 columns lined up in 28 rows of 12; most of the columns are topped with Corinthian and Doric capitals. The most remarkable features are the two giant Medusa heads, which serve as column bases. One of the heads is upside down and the other is rotated on its side (some believe that this was meant to negate the power of the Medusa’s deadly stare). You can see carp and goldfish swimming around in the water. The Cistern periodically hosts music concerts.

Before being converted into a museum, this remarkable palace served as a prison, a home for foreign ambassadors, a clothing factory, and a barracks. Today, the museum contains exquisite examples of Islamic calligraphy, tiles, and rugs, as well as ethnographic displays, such as dioramas of Turkic nomadic life. Its carpet collection is rated as one of the best in the world, and attracts serious history buffs and carpet enthusiasts. In the main section of the museum, you will see treasures from the palaces of the Abbasid caliphates from Baghdad and Samarra, including colorful mosaics and a fresco depicting two slave girls dancing, as well as a splendid door rescued from the Great Mosque in Cizre (south-eastern Turkey), dating back to 1155. Add to that some Selçuk pieces and some fine “Miletus” ceramics (actually made in İznik), and you have an excellent collection that is not to be missed.

The palace consists of four courtyards, a set of gardens (now forming part of Gülhane Park), and scattered buildings, which include the entrance halls and assembly rooms for the government of the Ottoman Empire, as well as the Sultan’s private apartments. After the Imperial Gate, the first courtyard features the church of Hagia Irene, gardens, and several fountains. Through the Gate of Salutations, you will get to the second courtyard, where you can find the kitchens, The Tower of Justice and the Divan, the Harem, and the Imperial Hall. The heart of the palace is the third courtyard, consisting of the Throne Room, the Library of Ahmed III, the Treasury, and the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle. The fourth courtyard was the private garden of the Sultan and contains pavilions, gardens, and terraces.

Tips

- Touring the Topkapı Palace can take at least half a day, so it’s better to head there as early as possible, especially if you’re the kind of traveler who doesn’t like to rush things.

- Keep in mind that the Harem’s opening hours are different than the Palace hours (closing time is 4pm during winter and 5pm during summer). So make sure to ask about the closing time when you arrive at the Topkapı Palace.

- Make sure you check out the amazing views of the Bosphorus through the terraces and gardens!

- If you don’t have too much time, start with the Harem and the Treasury.

The museum showcases over 18,000 pieces including a rich collection of Anatolian art, antiques, and relics dating from 6000 BC; archaeological remains ranging from the Neolithic to the Byzantine eras; Islamic art from the Ottoman era; and rare collections of ceramics, silks, and other artworks from Central and East Asia. Often overlooked by tourists, the Sadberk Hanım Musem is worth a visit despite its non-central location; it is constantly being updated by family purchases from auctions around the world. Particular items of note include its collections of 16^th century İznik pottery, Beykoz glassware, Phrygian bowls, Roman lamps, and cuneiform tablets.

The museum features a tea garden in the shady backyard where you can finish your visit with a cup of tea.

The museum boasts excellent permanent holdings, including a painting collection consisting of select works of early Turkish artists and foreign artists that dwelled in Istanbul during the last period of the Ottoman Empire. The collection is mostly focused on the years 1850-1950, featuring the works of local artists like Osman Hamdi Bey, Nazmi Ziya Güran, and Fikret Mualla, as well as foreign artists such as Fausto Zonaro and Ivan Ayvazovski. The permanent holdings also include exhibits of calligraphy and other Islamic art, porcelain, furniture, and more.

There are superb temporary exhibitions (which have previously included the works of major artists like Picasso and Dalí), talks, seminars and conferences, educational programs, and concerts. There is also a museum shop, a café, and a privately-owned fine-dining restaurant (muzedechanga), managed and constantly updated by an award-winning chef.

Temporary exhibitions of high quality art and historical artifacts constantly come and go, keeping the focus fresh and allowing for a wide range of interesting collections. Past exhibitions have included works of painting, ceramics, jewelry, and photography. On the walls of the museum are old black and white photographs which show the Cibali tobacco factory (now the Kadir Has University) as it was in its heyday.

The Orientalist Painting collection (now called Istanbul: City of Dreams), features Osman Hamdi’s famous painting The Tortoise Trainer (which the museum bought for 3.5 million dollars in 2004—the highest price ever paid for a Turkish painting at the time). It is probably the most popular of the permanent exhibitions, featuring many paintings from European artists including the Italian Fausto Zonaro, who was a court artist to the Ottoman sultans from 1896 to 1909, and the French artist Jean-Baptiste Vanmour, who had special access to Ottoman interiors and is particularly famous for his unique paintings of women in the home. There is also a splendid collection of views of Istanbul, through which you can chart the gradually changing skyline of the city.

The Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics collection exhibits over 400 pieces that represent various periods and types, demonstrating how Kütahya tiles and ceramics developed over the years. The Anatolian Weights and Measures collection consists of over 1000 objects that date back to prehistoric times. The exhibited objects include types of scales and measuring instruments used for measuring length, weight, and volume in various fields, such as architecture and jewellery making.

The mosaics are reproduced in the museum in the form that they would have appeared in the courtyard. They are made up of an estimated 80 million tesserae of colored glass, brick, limestone, and semi-precious stone. The pictures depicted on the mosaics are mostly of everyday Byzantine life (hunters spearing a tiger, monkeys catching birds, children herding ducks, and a man milking a goat, among other things). Most interestingly, there is a scene depicting children playing with a hoop, wearing green and blue colors that are thought to evoke the famous “Greens and Blues” of the racing chariot teams at the Hippodrome.

Housing the largest collection of naval artifacts in Turkey, the Maritime Museum commemorates both the Ottoman and Republican legacy at sea. Established in 1897, the museum was moved to its current waterfront location in Beşiktaş in the 1960s. A few minutes walk from Dolmabahçe Palace, the museum’s closer neighbor is the mausoleum of Barbaros Hızır Hayrettin Paşa, a celebrated Ottoman admiral.

The museum’s first floor is largely dedicated to items that Atatürk interacted with at sea. Objects from his yachts, the Savarona and the Ertuğrul, are displayed next to a mock-up of his personal cabin. Other exhibits focus on the Ottoman Navy, which was once the third largest in the world. Here, wooden mastheads and nautical instruments demonstrate the sheer longevity of the empire’s sea-faring history. The museum even claims to display a section of the chain stretched across the Golden Horn in 1453 during the conquest of Istanbul (then called Constantinople) to block Ottoman ships sailing inland. Other interesting objects that are displayed include weapons, paintings, uniforms, lanterns, and clocks.

On the lower level, more contemporary and less delicate artifacts provide an interactive experience for children. Young people can take the helm of 20^th century Turkish cruisers or make adjustments on defunct consoles. The garden and terrace in the back of the museum has a lovely view of the Bosphorus, as well as the more than 150 ships and boats that traverse its waters daily.

Located perpendicular to Bağdat Caddesi in Göztepe, a neighborhood in the Kadıköy district on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, the Istanbul Toy Museum has a small play site where young children can play and participate in diverse activities, seminars, and workshops organized by the museum.

The Istanbul Toy Museum also includes a small café that hosts birthdays and Sunday breakfasts (on request) for children as well as adults.

Founded in 2004 in a converted warehouse in Tophane, this privately owned, non-profit museum (known as Istanbul Modern for short) is the first of its kind in Istanbul to exhibit contemporary art.

The museum’s permanent exhibition contains a selection of paintings from the Eczacıbaşı family’s private collection as well as items from other private collections. In the past, temporary exhibitions have included solo artists and groups (for example,Armenian Architects of Istanbul) as well as conceptually-themed exhibitions.

The grounds include a small sculpture garden and a little gallery for children. Even the staircase is a work of art in this museum—it is a piece by Italian artist Monica Bonvicini called “Stairway to Hell” hung with chains and a shattered glass pane that looks like the aftermath of a murderous attack.

The Cinema Center within the museum provides audiences with an alternative film screening platform, focusing on world cinema history and new talents in Turkish cinema. (Screenings at the Istanbul Modern Cinema Center are free with museum admission.)

The museum also houses Istanbul Modern Cafe, a restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus that offers selections from Turkish and international cuisines.

Istanbul Modern has been an important catalyst for putting Turkish modern art on the map and has showcased the works of contemporary artists like Kutluğ Ataman, Gülsün Karamustafa, Hale Tenger, Sarkis, Taner Ceylan, Hussein Chalayan, Leyla Gediz, Hüsamettin Koçan, Mithat Şen, and İpek Duben. In addition, there have been exhibits by artists from earlier periods whose work puts Turkish art in an interesting perspective in relation to the general art scene of the 20^thcentury, e.g. Abdülmecid Efendi (1868 – 1944), the son of Sultan Abdülaziz who ended his life in exile in Paris, and Fausto Zonara, the court painter to the sultans from 1854 – 1929.

The building, with its immense dome, soars to a height of 56 meters. Astonishingly, it was built in only five years (by about 10,000 workers and 100 master craftsmen). Hagia Sophia was designed by the Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus under the Emperor Justinian, who decided to build on the site of two previously destroyed churches. When it was completed, it is reported that Justinian compared it to the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, saying “Oh Solomon! I have outdone you.” The buttresses were added in 1317 (when it looked like the structure might collapse) and the minarets were added after its post-Conquest conversion to a mosque.

One of the most impressive aspects of Hagia Sophia is the plethora of mosaics with their glittering gold surfaces. Restorations are still ongoing; in 2009, a painting of a six-winged seraph, thought to date to the 14th century, was rediscovered. Another remarkable feature is the “weeping column”, which by popular superstition is believed to cure people with eye infections and boost fertility.

Of the three, the Archaeological Museum is the largest and most important, located in a grand, porticoed building that includes sculptures from the Archaic Era to the Roman Era, artifacts of various periods that have been excavated in Istanbul, and much more. The most interesting and famous pieces include the Alexander Sarcophagus and other sarcophagi uncovered in the Sidon excavation.

The Ancient Orient Museum consists of artifacts from pre-Greek Anatolia and Mesopotamia and from pre-Islamic Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. The museum includes a section on Pre-Islamic Arabian Art, an Egyptian Collection, a Mesopotamian Collection, an Anatolian Collection, an Urartian Collection, and a collection of cuneiform documents. The museum includes many unique artifacts, such as the stele of the Akkadian King Naram-Suen, the Treaty of Kadesh, and the Ishtar Gate.

The collections of the Tiled Kiosk Museum include more than 2,000 artifacts of Turkish art from the Seljuk and Ottoman eras.

With a total of 66 domes and two soaring minarets, the Yeni Camii or New Mosque is one of the hallmarks of the Istanbul skyline.

Located in Eminönü, the mosque was originally designed by Davut Ağa,an apprentice to famed architect Mimar Sinan. Its presence was meant to dilute the strength of the large Jewish population in the area. Construction began in 1597, but political turmoil and funding issues delayed its completion until 1663.

Located in a tourist and commercial hub, the area surrounding Yeni Camii is typically mobbed with both human and animal visitors; several bird seed vendors encourage a healthy population of resident pigeons around the mosque’s exterior. Its interior is resplendent with carved marble and a colorful array of İznik tiles.

The mosque was built on Sultan Ahmet’s orders by the architect Sedefkâr Mehmet Ağa, and dramatically changed the city’s skyline. The exterior is built of beautiful grey stone and consists of a series of semi-domes leading up to the huge central dome and six minarets. The mosque sits in the center of a complex of buildings that used to function as a hospital, primary school, and medrese (theological school)—the latter two are still intact and visible from the primary entrance and the Hagia Sofia entrance, respectively.

Visitors are asked to wear relatively conservative clothes (no bare shoulders, shorts, or short skirts). Women will be given a scarf to cover their hair if they haven’t brought their own. Shoes need to be removed at the entrance; it’s recommended that you carry yours in a plastic bag (which may be provided at the entrance) rather than leaving them by the doorway. Given the heavy flow of both worshippers and tourists, there are currently separate entrances for each (just follow the signs) and if you arrive during prayer time, you may have to wait approximately ten minutes to enter the mosque.

The Holy Trinity Church, or Aya Triada Kilisesi, is steps below Taksim Square at the top of İstiklal Caddesi. One of the largest Greek Orthodox churches in Istanbul, it was constructed circa 1880 by the architect Kampanaki. Flanked by two bell towers, its dome is uncommon among Orthodox Churches in Istanbul; its construction was only made possible by an 1839 edict loosening restrictions on the expression of minority religions in the Ottoman Empire. Prior to this era of reform, known as the Tanzimat, these restrictions included a ban on the erection of domes for Christian houses of worship.

The church’s Baroque interior is well-lit, allowing enough light to see the paintings of Biblical scenes, icons, and the frescoed ceiling. Rows of Orthodox ecclesiastic pews, engraved with the names of patrons, line the walls. The landscaped grounds and neo-Gothic facade can be viewed from the back balcony of Hacı Baba restaurant, a touristic restaurant serving traditional Turkish and Ottoman cuisine.

To arrive at Aya Triada, walk down İstiklal Caddesi and take the first left. You’ll see the church on the left-hand side of the street.

Monday-Friday, 6:00pm in French

Weekend Masses:

Sunday, 10:00am in English, 11:00am-3:00pm in French

Saturday, 6:00pm in Turkish;Sunday, 10:00am in English, 11:00am in Polish, 11:30am in Italian, 6:00pm in Turkish.

Weekday Mass Hours:

Monday-Friday, 8:00am in English, 7:00pm in Turkish; Saturday, 8:00am in English