Holiday Turkey Tourism

Museums and Ancient Cities

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Museum : Aya Sophia was built, for nearly a thousand years ago, is the largest enclosed space in the world, and still seen as one of the world’s most important architectural monuments. It is one of Turkey’s most popular attractions, drawn by the sheer spectacle of its size, architecture, mosaics and art.

It used to be a church for 916 years, then a mosque for 481 years, and since 1935 has been a museum. Thought to have been constructed by Emperor Konstantinos I (324 – 337) it was burned down during a revolt. Rebuilt by Emperor Theodosium II, it was opened for worship in 415 and once again was burned to the ground, during the Nika revolts of 532.

Emperor Iustanianus (527 – 565) wanted to construct something even bigger than the original two and appointed architects Isidoros from Miletos, and Anthemios from Tralles to build the Aya Sophia which still stands. Columns, heads, marble and coloured stones were imported to Istanbul from ancient cities in Anatolia for the purpose.

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Sites

Registered Immobile Cultural and Natural Heritages in İstanbul

Sites

Archaeological Sites: 14

Urban Sites: 14

Natural Sites: 11

Historical Sites: -

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Palaces

After his conquest of Istanbul Mehmet the Conqueror had ordered a palace to be built on a site which is now the grounds of Istanbul University. This palace, consisting mainly of small, wooden pavilions, was surrounded by thick walls. When the building of the new palace at Sarayburnu (the Topkapı Palace) was completed it was renamed Esk Saray (old palace), or Saray-ı Atik and became a residence for the wives and favourites of dead sultans. As it lost its importance the Saray-ı Atik steadily declined and crumbled away leaving no detailed evidence of its architecture and layout. It is only a steel engraving by the English artist Thomas Allom, executed in the first half of the l9th century that depicts a ceremonial entrance with extremely wide eaves resembling the baroque entrance of Babıali on the Alayköşkü side. The location of this palace is marked on old maps of the water supply systems. The New Palace (Yeni Saray), otherwise known as Saray-ı Cedid, or the Topkapı Palace, at Sarayburnu was gradually enlarged with the addition of new buildings and pavilions. This process continued until a preference for a new, European-style palace by the Bosphorus emerged. The Topkapı Palace which had initially adopted the name of a small summerhouse on the coast, developed into a complex of buildings surrounded by gardens. A protective wall, known as Sur-ı Sultanî, was built around it on the inland side and a strong defence system established.

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Geographical location

The location of İstanbul could be placed in a circle, lying roughly at the intersection of the 41 st parallel and the 29th meridian. A number of the world’s important cities also lie on, or near the same parallel-cities such as Peking Salonika, Naples Madrid and New York. İstanbul is the place where the two continents Europe and Asia. It was founded at the point where the Black Sea is linked to the Mediterranean and the islands by the Sea of Marmara. Istanbul is where roads link East and West, where the sea brings North and South together. This geographical feature of the city is further stressed by the presence of the Golden Horn, which throughout history has served as a natural harbor for ships of all kinds.

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Contact Information

Governorship : (+90-212) 514 17 50

Municipality : (+90-212) 512 55 00

Hospital : (+90-212) 588 48 00

Police : (+90-212) 635 00 00

Gendarme : (+90-212) 779 30 18

Provincial Directorate : (+90-212) 243 34 72

Tourism Information Office : (+90-212) 527 45 03

Provincial Cultural Directorate : (+90-212) 518 18 03 - 04

Harbour : (+90-212) 245 53 66 - 249 71 78 - 249 18 96

Don’t Leave Without

- Seeing two of the master pieces of religious art of Istanbul, Süleymaniye Mosque and Sultanahmet Mosque,

- Visiting Hagia Sophia and Museum,

- Visiting Topkapı Palace, Dolmabahçe Palace and Rumeli Hisarı,

- Having a ship voyage at Bosporus and Islands,

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Galleries and Art Houses

Istanbul

Galleries and Art Houses
Name District Contact Information
AFA Art Gallery Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 249 22 18
Akademililer Art Center Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 245 02 29
Akbank Bahariye Art Gallery Kadıköy Phone: + 90 216 336 84 55
Akbank Bebek Art Gallery Bebek Phone: + 90 212 263 48 35
Akbank Beylerbeyi Art Beylerbeyi Phone: + 90 212 321 11 02
Aksanat Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 252 35 00
Alkent Actual Art Etiler Phone: + 90 212 257 46 84
Anka Art Art Gallery Şaşkınbakkal Phone: + 90 212 385 76 35
Fax: + 90 212 422 21 96
Antik Palace Maçka Phone: + 90 212 236 24 60
Antik Art Gallery Kadıköy Phone: + 90 216 330 13 54
Fax: + 90 216 348 74 33
Apel Art Gallery Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 292 72 36
Fax: + 90 212 263 62 33
Ares Art House Fenerbahçe Phone: + 90 216 345 11 62
Ariyel Art Gallery Şişli Phone: + 90 212 296 99 79
Fax: + 90 212 240 17 11
Art Hall Art Gallery Kozyatağı Phone: + 90 216 456 04 58
Artemis Art Center Şişli Phone: + 90 212 232 09 20
Artı Mezat Teşvikiye Phone: + 90 212 261 62 55
Fax: + 90 212 261 62 81
Artisan Art Gallery Nişantaşı Phone: + 90 212 247 71 19
Artium Art Gallery Teşvikiye Phone: + 90 212 291 01 31
Fax: + 90 212 231 87 50
Artium Sungur Art House Teşvikiye Phone: + 90 212 227 75 93
Fax: + 90 212 227 75 93
Artmosfer Art Gallery Yeniköy Phone: + 90 212 223 13 14
Fax: + 90 212 223 18 15
Military Museum Hasan Rıza Hall Harbiye Phone: + 90 212 233 27 20
Asmalımescit Art Gallery Tünel Phone: + 90 212 249 69 79
Atatürk Library Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 249 09 45
Örümcek Workshop Teşvikiye Phone: + 90 212 241 35 58
Austria Consulate Culture Office Yeniköy Phone: + 90 212 223 78 43
Fax: + 90 212 223 34 69
Axa Oyak Art Gallery Karaköy Phone: + 90 212 292 58 00
Fax: + 90 212 249 91 24
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Concert Halls and Showlands

İstanbul

Concert Halls and Showlands
Name District Contact Information
Aksanat Culture and Art Center Beyoğlu Phone: + 90 212 252 35 00
Aya İrini Sultanahmet Phone: + 90 212 526 07 24
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The Golden Horn

In olden times Haliç (as it is known in Turkish), was referred to as Khrysokeras, which means “The Golden Horn”. It is a perfect inner harbor. Due to the fact that it was rich in fish of all kinds and that the soil on its banks was extremely fertile. It was compared to a cornucopia, or horn of plenty, and in the early ages it was given this name which meant “Golden Horn”. The mouth of this harbour is 700m wide, and the width between Galata and Eminönü is 500m. The Alibey and Kâğıthane creeks flow into the northern end of the Golden Horn, which was navigable in its entirety. There is an elevation between these two creeks known as Silivri Hill. In the distant past the lower part of the Golden Horn was full of shipbuilding and repair yards. After the arrival of the Turks, its upper end became a popular site for summerhouses, waterside residences and palaces. All of these were demolished in the course of time and the northern end of the Golden Horn was invaded by a host of factories and other industrial installations that have given it its present ugly and malodorous aspect.

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A Perspective of the Future

Under these conditions, what can we think about the future of the city?

Is the city drifting towards a catastrophe?

The first thing we can probably do is form a plan (of course more than one) for Istanbul. We can make some intellectual exercises about the nature of the basic elements of such a plan.

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