Galata Convent of Whirling Dervishes, Istanbul
A dancing hall of the mystical Mevlevi order, shut down in 1925 along with all other 'reactionary' movements in Turkey.
A dancing hall of the mystical Mevlevi order, shut down in 1925 along with all other 'reactionary' movements in Turkey. Today the building houses the Museum of Divan Literature. Note: the main hall is closed for restoration through December 2010. The best time to visit is Fridays between 5PM to 7PM when sema dervish ceremonies are staged (buy tickets in advance, as space is limited). Also check out the small graveyard next door, where the carved fez perched upon the gravestone indicates the occupant's rank in the dervish hierarchy.
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Galata Convent of Whirling Dervishes and Nearby Sights on Map
S. Antonio di Padova Catholic Church
Although not at the size of Hagia Sophia, this is the largest church (still used for religious activities) in Turkey
Pera Museum
Pera Museum is a private museum with a large collection of Turkish Orientalist paintings, archaeological finds of Anatolian measurement units and tools used in Asia Minor since antiquity, and faiences of Kütahya
Hagia Triada Orthodox Church
Finding a quite large and still operating church on the edge of the main square of the largest city of a predominantly Muslim country may not be expected by everyone, but this is exactly the definition of the quite elaborate Hagia Triada
French Institute
They have good art exhibits for free and sometimes have French films in the cinema
Crimean Memorial Church
A neo-gothic anglican cathedral which would not be out of place in northwestern Europe, Crimean Memorial Church was built for the protestant community of the city by Britain in late 1800s
Galata Tower
It was built by the Genoese on the city walls of Galata, then a western (Genoese/Venetian) stronghold beside eastern (Byzantine/Ottoman) Constantinople
Istanbul Military Museum
Among the exhibition of this museum are five thousand pieces from the Ottoman era through the WWII, with the most prominent piece possibly being the huge chain that the Byzantines stretched across the mouth of the Golden Horn to keep out the Sultan's navy in 1453 during the siege of Constantinople
Maçka Park
This is a park occupying two sides of a valley of this hilly city, with an avenue in between
Istanbul Modern Art Museum
A must see for anyone interested in contemporary Turkish art, this is a nice, organized museum with contemporary installations
Atatürk Museum
The historical 3-storey house, easily recognizable among concrete apartment buildings with its pink exterior, which the founder of Turkish Republic, Kemal Atatürk rented while staying in Istanbul before setting sail to Samsun on Black Sea coast to start the Turkish War of Independence