Istanbul: Two Continents, One City, No Shortage of Opinions on Which Neighbourhood to Stay In

Istanbul sits on two continents, with the Bosphorus running through the middle. The historic peninsula (Sultanahmet), where the Ottoman and Byzantine monuments cluster, is on the European side. Beyoglu, the 19th-century European-influenced district north of the Golden Horn, is also European. The Asian side (Kadikoy, Uskudar) is where Istanbullus increasingly live and eat without tourists.

The city has 15 million people and approximately 15 million tourists per year. Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace are extraordinary; they’re also very busy. The approach matters.

Hagia Sophia

Built 532-537 CE under Emperor Justinian, it was the largest church in the world for nearly a thousand years. Converted to a mosque by Mehmed II in 1453, converted to a museum in 1934, reconverted to a mosque in 2020. Entry is now free (as a mosque), but there are queues, and the main nave requires navigating around prayer areas. The mosaic of Justinian and Constantine presenting the city to the Virgin Mary, in the southwest vestibule, is one of the finest pieces of Byzantine art in existence and most visitors walk past it.

Go 30 minutes before opening (opens at 09:00, check current prayer schedule as it affects access). The galleries are included.

Topkapi Palace

The Ottoman sultans’ palace from 1465 to 1856, now a museum. Entry around 500 TRY (prices change constantly with inflation; TRY is volatile). The Harem section requires a separate ticket and separate queuing. The treasury section holds the Topkapi Dagger and the Spoonmaker’s Diamond; the scale of the jewels is genuinely extreme. The views of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn from the fourth courtyard are the best in the city.

Allow 4-5 hours for the full complex.

Beyond Sultanahmet

The Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar near Eminonu is more manageable than the Grand Bazaar and more food-focused. Good for sumac, dried figs, baklava, and tea. The Galata Bridge connecting Eminonu to Beyoglu is perpetually lined with fishing rods; the restaurants underneath it are basic and cheap.

Beyoglu, north of the Golden Horn: Istiklal Cadde (Independence Avenue) is the main commercial street, busy, loud. Pera Palas hotel (opened 1892 for Orient Express passengers) is worth seeing even if you’re not staying. The Pera Museum has a good collection of Turkish and Ottoman-period paintings.

Kadikoy on the Asian side: Take the ferry from Eminonu or Karakoy (15-20 minutes, very cheap). The Kadikoy market area has the best street food in Istanbul: kokoreç (spiced offal in bread roll), midye dolma (stuffed mussels sold from carts for TRY 5-10 each), and balik ekmek (grilled fish in bread).

Eating

Turkish breakfast is an institution: small plates of cheese, olives, tomato, cucumber, honeycomb, tahini paste, jams, and eggs, served with endless tea. Van Kahvalti Evi in Beyoglu is the reference for this, typically TRY 300-400 per person. Worth doing once.

For a proper lunch, Ciya Sofrasi in Kadikoy is a Michelin-recommended casual restaurant serving Anatolian regional cooking that changes daily. Mains around TRY 200-300.

Getting Around

The Istanbulkart (contactless travel card, rechargeable) works on Metro, tram, bus, and ferry for flat fares. The T1 tram from Kabatas to Sultanahmet is the most useful single route for visitors. The ferry is the best way to cross the Bosphorus and costs about TRY 30.