Istanbul Things to Do

The 220-foot-tall medieval Galata Tower, one of Istanbul’s most iconic buildings, offers stunning panoramic views of the Old City. There are other, taller towers and buildings with sweeping vistas, but Galata Towers’s unique position in the heart of the Galata district gives it a privileged vantage point over the Golden Horn estuary and some of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.

Istanbul’s Çiçek Pasajı, or Flower Passage, is the most renowned example of the city’s ornate late 19th and early 20th century arcades, beautifully restored to its Ottoman-era glory. Running between Istikal Caddesi and Sahne Sok in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul, the L-shaped passageway was once the courtyard of the historic Cité de Péra building, built in 1876. The building was later purchased by the Ottoman Grand Vizier Sait Paşa, who renamed it the Sait Paşa Passage, but the modern name of Çiçek Pasajı was adopted in the 1920s in ode to the Russian flower sellers that lined the passageway throughout the war years.

There are plenty of things to do in Istanbul. From bargaining at the Grand Bazaar to indulging in a hammam, the opportunities abound. However, one that often gets overlooked is heading to the meyhane, Istanbul’s take on the tapas bar and haven where the raki flows, the traditional folk music (rasil) is performed, mezes are consumed and the mood is vibrant.

Going to Istanbul? Prepare to be astounded, for Istanbul is one of the most intriguing metropolises in the world.

For more than 1600 years the city served as capital for two major world empires, first of the Byzantines and then of the Ottoman Turks, and has remained the cultural capital of Turkey since the country’s founding in 1923. The brilliance and beauty of this long legacy can be found throughout the city, in its monuments and in the spirit of its people.

Throughout its extensive history Istanbul has also been attracting a certain type of traveler. As a “bridge” between Europe and Asia, the city has lured in foreigners from the West to see at first hand the mysteries of the East, and from the East to see at first hand the mysteries of the West.