Underneath Istanbul are many ancient cisterns to help store water thousands of years ago. This one…read moreis an alternative to the Basilica Cistern and cheaper to get in. Go inside and purchase tickets. It's around $25, but much cheaper for locals. (As it should be.) Walk down the stairs to the dark space where a light show plays for around 10 minutes. It's a unique experience but worth it only once in my opinion. It is wild to think this cistern was lost for years before rediscovered.

It's okay, unless you're easily impressed with light shows (which honestly could be better here)…read more The cistern is very small and there's not much to do for more than 15 mins. For the money, go to the Basilica Cistern aka Yerebatan Sarnici.

This is a must see attraction…read more Really pointless to review it since it is common knowledge how impressive it is.

Spectacular palace that takes hours to explore. We had two hours here, which is not nearly enough…read more We went through as part of a Viator tour group, which was a mistake. Viator is generally great, but this group consisted of like 60 people. Entering one by one, and validating each ticket by the guide took SO long. We spent most of the time doing this rather than explore the site itself. I recommend going through a smaller tour group. The guide went through just a few general comments and we were on our own to explore. Once inside, there's an option for a long and short tour. We opted for the latter because we were running out of time. The rush didn't give the museum justice. The palace had rooms that showed the history of life (some rather tough) at the time. The gardens and view of the city were amazing. Allow plenty of time.

This place is an arts center where a number of different artists work, and there's an associated…read moregallery. It caught my eye because of some intricate Islamic pen art in the window (called Tezhip), and I went in to check it out. I'd recommended this place for at least two things: buying beautiful art that's hard to find elsewhere in Istanbul (I tried), and having Turkish coffee and pastries in a quiet courtyard right by Topkapi where no one will bother you. It's really lovely inside and a total hidden gem.

We went to a yoga class here during a recent trip to Istanbul and had a great experience with the…read morepeople who run the space and the yoga instructor, Lacey. One of few English speaking yoga classes offered in the area, the format proved challenging but our instructor was very encouraging and supportive! My husband and I felt very comfortable and welcomed by the local " regulars". Circuit is a space that promotes sustainability through art so whenever they sponsor community gatherings, you will find no paper plates or plastic forks! They have a water cooler and actual glasses for guests to use. They recycle and use composting trash bags, too. The decor is eclectic, light and bright with a very chill vibe. Aside from yoga classes, they offer art classes and host second-hand resale bazaars. The space is available for rent, too.

The Museum of Turkish Calligraphy Art is in Beyazit Square, part of the Bayezid Mosque Complex…read more The museum collection displays the works of master calligraphers in chronological order so you can see the changes over time, as well as the tools of the art. In the garden are two sundials made by Ahmet Ziya Bey.

If you take the Bosporus cruise, you will see the Rumeli Hisarı Fortress on the European side…read more Don't miss visiting this fortress because there are great views and there is so much history in this place! In 1453, after a thousand years, the Byzantine Empire came to an end with the Fall of Constantinople. For the next 500 years the Ottoman Empire ruled the area. Rumeli Hisarı means 'Fortress in the land of the Romans.' It was built in 1452 by the order of the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II. You can take Bus 25E (Kabataş--Sarıyer) to reach the fortress. Get out at the Rumeli Hisarı stop.

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in June, we got to Rumeli Hisari fortress. It was kind of an…read moreordeal, because the bus that normally heads there leaves from the still-blocked Taksim Square route, so we hopped in an expensive taxi, leaving me cranky. This is off the beaten path for sure, and that probably explains why so few people were visiting this COMPLETELY AMAZING FORTRESS. I understand there's a lot to see in Istanbul, but if you want an attraction that will leave you feeling like you've actually experienced a part of history, this is where you should go. Here are some great things about Rumeli Hisari. - It's at the narrowest point of the strait separating Europe and Asia, which means that it's situated in a beautiful part of Istanbul that most people don't go to. I liked the walk to and from the grounds better than the view at the Galata Tower. - It's 5 TL to get in. That's about US $2.50. To climb all over a 700-year-old fortress. - You get to climb all over it. No, seriously, you get to climb. ALL. over it. When you see the turrets and guard towers of the fortress, you will already be blown away by how cool-looking they are. Now imagine your surprise mixed with happiness and terror when you realize that there are a bunch of incredibly horrifying narrow stone steps with no guardrail or alterations of any kind, and you can take them all the way up to the turrets and towers at 3-4 different points in the grounds. I am not particularly scared of heights, but I'm still scared of general dying, so I made my boyfriend hold my hand on the way up the part that went near a deep hole I can only assume was a death pit. The view from the top is phenomenal and was worth my consternation. - You will not see anything else like it in Istanbul. I know it's not near your hotel in Sultanahmet. But go anyway, because you will thank yourself for being an adventurous soul who gets to see amazing historical things. A couple cautions, that didn't affect my review but might affect your experience: - Don't bring your children. The steps are really terrifying. - A downside of the hands-off approach is that while there's a short guide in English to the fortress, I would have loved more information about what different parts of the fortress were used for. Plaques and guiding signs are largely absent.

If you like interactive museums, and a good value for the time spent and experience, this is your…read moreplace. I had a really great time here.

You can see from the average rating of five stars that this is an amazing museum. I spent a few…read morehours here and loved it. They have some historical artifacts of Ataturk, which is interesting. The collection of cars they have is really neat. Inside they have a lot of American and German cars. Make sure you check outside to see their collection of Russian and Turkish vehicles. The section on trains and trams was wonderful. They have a wide variety of engines and train cars and most of them you can climb into. I liked the travel car for Sultan Abdulaziz in particular. There are also numerous model trains and train posters advertising historic routes like the Orient Express. There are a lot of boats both inside and outside....I loved the speedboats they had on display inside. They had some Italian and some American models and they are like works of art themselves. It's easy to spend several hours here. I love transportation museums and this is one of the best I've visited. Highly recommend. There was something for everyone here.

Part of Rick Steve's "Walls and Neighborhoods" walking tour…read more(https://youtu.be/ggyMCuEy_qY?si=FoDpEA-7fnAgcFnh), I highly recommend his Travel Guide book on Istanbul. This museum might be a high point, both literally and figuratively. Even better in the off season in spite of the cold, well because of the cold, this place is deserted except for a handful of Turkish tourists. The museum is housed in the Palace of the Porphyrogenitus (Tekfur Sarayi) built into the city wall dating back to the 13th century Byzantine era. The museum is uniquely and beautifully worked into the palace, and the grounds serves up both spectacular views of the old City of Constantinople and also of the city wall. There's a small entrance fee which was well worth it. The very top is vertigo inducing if you have a fear of heights like me, just take your time and get up there to look around, you won't be disappointed. Unless you're the sort of person who is always disappointed in which case this will be yet another in an endless series of disappointments. You can also meet some nice cats.