Sightseeing

It takes time to see Istanbul properly, since examples of its 2000-year-old past can be hard to find amid the chaos of the present. Most visitors go straight to the Sultanahmet district, the oldest part of the city where there are at least some remnants of Byzantine Constantinople, such as Haghia Sophia, among the splendors of Imperial Ottoman architecture, such as Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque. Sultanahmet is, however, a ‘tourist quarter’ with the usual irritations of badgering by touts and crowds of people and it is not the only historic part of the city.

The city center, including the areas referred to as ‘the old city’ and ‘the new city’, which are separated by the estuary of the Golden Horn, is located on the European side of Istanbul, on the western side of the Bosphorus Strait. Northwest of Sultanahmet lies the area of Beyazit, focused around the famous Kapali Carsi (Covered or Grand Bazaar), while directly north from Sultanahmet, following the tramway, visitors will quickly hit the hustle and bustle of the Eminonu docks on the Golden Horn. From here, across the Galata Bridge, the area beginning at Karakoy port, running up to the landmark Galata Tower and then up through Beyoglu and Taksim, was for centuries the designated residence of foreigners, including Italian, Greek and Levantine traders. The Tunel (see Public Transport) climbs the hill from Karakoy port to the start of Istiklal Caddesi, a mile-long pedestrian thoroughfare leading up to Taksim Square, the heart of modern Istanbul and home to much of its nightlife.

Mosques are almost always open proudly to visitors outside prayer times, although shorts and sleeveless clothes should not be worn. Shoes are left outside and women will be loaned a shawl to covers arms and hair. Visitors should not take photographs of women wearing the traditional black ‘carsaf’ – it is forbidden. Parents of little boys in their full circumcision regalia will usually allow photos, although a small gift of money to the child is traditional.

Tourist information:
Turizm Danisma Burosu
Sultanahmet Square
Tel: (212) 518 8754.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1300.

Other offices are located at Ataturk Airport, Sirkeci Station, Karakoy port and the Hilton Hotel Arcade.

Regional Directorate
Suleyman Sebiz Caddesi 7, Akatlar Apartmani
Besiktas
Tel: (212) 258 8877.
Website: http://www.turkey.org/

Passes
There are no tourist passes available.

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