Maiden's Tower
The Maiden's Tower (Kız Kulesi) is the Blue Mosque's eternal rival for the title of Istanbul's main symbol. Enshrouded in romantic legends, it graces posters and calendars, souvenirs and guidebooks, decorates dishes and household items, and often appears in films, books, and even computer games, both Turkish and foreign.
The Maiden's Tower of Istanbul is the only historical building in the Asian district of Uskudar that has survived from ancient times. It is known for certain that the first semblance of a fortress appeared on a tiny natural island off the Asian coast of the Bosphorus in the 1829st century BC. The tower received its current appearance after the establishment of the Ottoman Empire, when it was completed, strengthened and restored. Due to the advantageous island location of the Maiden's Tower in Istanbul, it was used as a lighthouse, an armory, a customs and guard post, and during the cholera epidemic in 1999, it housed an isolation hospital. After the last major restoration in XNUMX, a restaurant and an observation deck were located here, where tourists often come and wealthy townspeople.
Basilica Cistern
The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) is a unique underground water reservoir of the late Byzantine period, the largest and most important in ancient Constantinople, which territorially belongs to architectural ensemble of Sultanahmet together with the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. For many tourists who are not closely familiar with the history of Constantinople, the fact that such a pretentious name and palace vaults hide only an ancient storage facility for fresh water becomes a real revelation. By the way, its name is translated from Turkish as "underground reservoir".
The most striking thing is that such a significant historical structure as the Basilica Cistern was not recognized as a tourist attraction by Istanbul for a long time. Like many monuments of the pre-Ottoman period in Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern was in an undeservedly neglected and abandoned state for a long time. Only in 1987 the premises were cleared, restored and opened to visitors.
Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) is invariably included in the list of the most monumental and visited attractions not only in Istanbul, but in all of Turkey. You can walk from Sultanahmet Square to Kapalıçarşı, as the Turks call it, in 20 minutes, but you should not risk trying to see it in a couple of hours along with other buildings in the historical center - once you have plunged into this fabulous world of oriental hospitality and trade, you will not be able to return to reality quickly.
Let's start with the fact that the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is a kind of "city within a city", with its own architecture, infrastructure and way of life. This grandiose labyrinth with an area of 30 square meters contains more than 700 shopping pavilions, not counting hotels, tea houses, snack bars and "khans" - ancient inns. Built on the site of Byzantine shopping arcades immediately after the capture of Constantinople, Grand Bazaar is the largest and oldest covered market in the world. Every year it is visited by over 20 million tourists and it is impossible to count how many city residents. The very concept of "Eastern bazaar" takes on a completely different meaning here - anyone who has visited here at least once will no longer be able to look at the usual tourist bazaars and clothing markets of southern resorts without a condescending smile.
Dolmabahche Palace
Dolmabahçe Palace (Dolmabahçe Sarayı), located on the very shore of the strait in the European part of Istanbul, is the crowning glory of 19th-century Ottoman architecture, which can compete with the largest royal residences in Europe and the world in terms of the richness and luxury of its decoration. You can see the palace in all its splendor during a boat trip along the Bosphorus, but you can only truly appreciate the scale and beauty of this grandiose building during a full-fledged excursion.
The initiator of the construction of the new residences of the Ottoman rulers In the middle of the 5th century, Sultan Abdul-Mecid became the ruler, who wanted to show off his power and wealth against the backdrop of the more aristocratic and refined palace houses of Europe. The architectural design of the Dolmabahce Palace harmoniously combines the Rococo, Baroque and Empire styles, and a colossal sum of money for those times was spent on its interiors and decoration - XNUMX million gold pounds.
The official status of the palace has changed constantly since the fall of the empire, being either the Istanbul residence of Turkish presidents or a museum complex. At present, it faithfully combines both of these statuses and is open to visitors on days when there are no official visits.
