If Istanbul is one of your next destinations, there are some things that you should know in order to fully enjoy your trip. Istanbul is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, full of history and culture, a city with two different and opposite souls. You can visit its stunning mosques, enjoy a walk along the banks of the Bosphorus, talk with the merchants of the Grand Bazaar and buy some spices at the local markets. Each corner of Istanbul could be an amazing surprise and it is worth knowing what to visit and do during your trip. Here are some recommendations about Istanbul’s best attractions.

Plan in advance, choose a tour agency

If you want to be sure not to miss anything in Istanbul, you could consider choosing a good tour agency. For instance, there are some very interesting Istanbul group tours by Through Eternity, which allow you to enjoy the best attractions in the city without the stress of checking maps, creating itineraries and talking with local companies. The tour agency can help you save your time and money, and at the same time its experts will show you a peculiar side of this incredible city, thanks to their expertise. Another important recommendation is to book your tickets and tours in advance, so you can get to the city and start enjoying your trip right away.

What to see in Istanbul

There are so many things to see in Istanbul: all its neighborhoods are like a treasure to be discovered! Here are some of the best attractions in Istanbul:

Hagia Sofia Mosque: among the most important symbols of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia is famous for being one of the largest architectural works in the world, with its huge central dome and its valuable mosaics dating back to the Byzantine and Christian periods.

Sultan Ahmet Camii: better known as the Blue Mosque, is one of the most visited buildings in Istanbul. Its interior is covered with over 20,000 ceramic tiles from Iznik, in which the color blue predominates, thus explaining the name of the mosque.

Topkapi Palace: this is the most beautiful palace in the whole Turkey, a symbol of the power of the Ottoman Empire. From there you can see the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara, an amazing view especially at sunset.

Galata Tower: in 1348 the Genoese, who had founded a colony in the area, built the cylindrical tower for defensive purposes which they called “Torre di Cristo”. It was later used as a prison, then as an astronomical observatory.

Grand Bazaar: an intricate maze of streets and passages, it is the most important market in Istanbul. It has an area of about 31 thousand square meters and it includes about 4,000 shops, as well as restaurants, mosques, banks and hammans.

It would be impossible to include all the beauty of the city in a few attractions. Istanbul is color, perfumes, spices and so much more!