Istanbul: Planning a Visit That Goes Beyond Sultanahmet

Istanbul’s historic peninsula concentrates more significant Byzantine and Ottoman monuments per square kilometre than anywhere else on earth. The Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, and Grand Bazaar all sit within walking distance of each other in Sultanahmet, and a visitor who spends their entire time in this area will have seen extraordinary things. They will also have missed most of what makes Istanbul interesting.

The city has 15 million people. Only some of them live in the tourist district.

Sultanahmet Essentials

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) was built between 532 and 537 CE and for nearly a thousand years was the largest enclosed space in the world. It is now operating as a mosque; entry is free, but there are queues and parts of the interior are cordoned for prayers. The dome, 56 metres high, is the principal achievement; the pendentives and half-domes distributing the weight down to the walls were an engineering solution that didn’t become standard practice until centuries later. Go at opening time (09:00) or late afternoon.

Topkapi Palace: The Ottoman administrative and residential complex from 1465 to 1856. Entry around TRY 500 (prices adjust constantly with inflation). The Harem requires a separate ticket and its own entry line. The Treasury holds the Topkapi Dagger and the 86-carat Spoonmaker’s Diamond. The fourth courtyard views across the Bosphorus junction with the Golden Horn are the best elevated city views available without paying for a restaurant. Allow 4 hours.

Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici): a 6th-century underground reservoir with 336 columns standing in shallow water, atmospheric and claustrophobic. Entry around TRY 200, recently renovated with better lighting. Short visit; 30-45 minutes is adequate.

The Asian Side

The ferry from Eminonu to Kadikoy takes 20 minutes and costs TRY 20-30 on an Istanbulkart. Kadikoy’s market district has better street food than anything in Sultanahmet: the fish sandwich (balik ekmek) at Kadikoy Balik Ekmek (by the ferry dock) is the benchmark for this particular thing; kokoreç (spiced offal in bread) from the stalls on Moda Caddesi; midye dolma (stuffed mussels from street carts, TRY 5-8 each) eaten standing. Lunch in Kadikoy costs TRY 150-200 per person without trying.

Moda neighbourhood, 15 minutes’ walk from the Kadikoy ferry dock, is where Istanbul’s middle-class professionals live and eat. The tea houses along Moda Caddesi looking out to sea are full of local people, not visitors.

The Bosphorus

A ferry cruise on the public Bosphorus ferry (run by IDO/Sehir Hatlari, departs Eminonu, TRY 50-80 for the full up-and-back trip to Anadolu Kavagi) takes 2 hours each way and passes under both Bosphorus bridges with views of Ottoman-era fortresses, waterfront mansions (yali), and the Rumeli Hisari fortress. This is significantly cheaper and more authentic than the tourist cruise boats that cluster at the same dock.

Where to Stay

Beyoglu (Pera district, north of the Golden Horn) is a better base than Sultanahmet for most visitors: more restaurant options, closer to Kadikoy ferries, and less orientation toward tourist commerce. Pera Palace Hotel dates from 1892 (opened for Orient Express travellers) and charges accordingly, from TRY 15,000-25,000/night. Mid-range: the boutique hotels around Galata and Cihangir run TRY 4,000-8,000 in peak season.

The Istanbulkart contactless travel card works on all public transport including ferries; buy one at any major station for TRY 100 deposit.