Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

Million

While this partially intact marble pillar dating back to 4th century AD may seem unremarkable, it was the starting point of any distance measured within the empire during the Byzantine era, so it may be nice to think that you are in the centre of where all the roads lead to (or, rather, start from)

Suleymaniye Mosque

Gülhane Park

This park was royal hunting grounds in the past

Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art

Carpets, rugs, calligraphy, pottery

Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern, also known as ‘Yerebatan Cistern’ or Sunken Cistern, is the largest of the several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath Istanbul, with a holding capacity of 80,000 m³

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is a 6^th century Orthodox patriarchal basilica that was later used as a mosque, and is today a museum

The Museum of Archeology

A must see! One of the best, including a great collection of Sumerian tablets, pieces of the wall of Babylon and Roman marble statues

Valens Aqueduct

A double-storey Roman one built during the reign of Valens (r

Hagia Irene

Hagia Irene, which you will notice to your left after entering the outer yard of Topkapi Palace, is one of few Byzantine-era cathedrals which was never converted to a mosque (though not used for religious purposes either during the Ottoman period), although access to the interior is not allowed unless you have a ticket to the classical music concerts sometimes taking place inside the building