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.

Absolutely stunning! Hagia Sofia, I was not familiar with your game. It was so interesting to see…read morehow much Christian influence and history is here, which I had no idea about. Our ticketing and entrance process was smooth, though busy - expect lines if you don't go right away in the morning or near closing. Wear clothes that cover your shoulders, chest and knees - and a scarf for covering your head for ladies. They do have some there if you need one. The space is huge! Down on the main floor is just for practicing Muslims to pray, so the space accessible to guests in the higher area. They did have a few spots where you can get audio info, but it was pretty limited info and more of a description of what you're seeing. The ticket covered admission to the museum (not attached, another building) that was VERY helpful and informative! We did that second but wished we'd done it first. Such a stunning space with a ton of history. An absolute must in Istanbul!

Ok, the story is a bit surprising since it was a catholic church during the Roman Empire and now…read moreconverted into a mosque and museum. I was a bit put out off from the high ticket price of $25 per person to go inside. Yes, we paid our fee and did a prearranged guided tour but did not feel like it was not a fair deal. The inside had scaffolding due to the interior renovation that is in the works. I've been to churches all over the world and only the Vatican is worth that kind of ticket price, In my opinion. There are a few remaining frescoes that you can see be seen but overall it was underrated and more of a cash grab to fund reconstruction.

You can't miss this passageway! There is a nice stained glass design above the entrance on…read moreIstaklal Street. Cool little arcade full of restaurants (a few shops too). I heard from a tour guide that Russian Emigres got permission to sell flowers in this arcade a hundred years ago or so. The word Çiçek means flower in Turkish. The restaurants are traditional meyhane, which is a Persian word which means something like 'wine house'. In short, there are pubs there. I found this on a tour with the fantastic guide by the name if Katerina. Check out the Culinary Backstreets Tour of Istanbul.

We came here because you can't really come to Istanbul and not come here to visit. We came right…read morebefore prayer time, and it was reasonably uncrowded as I understand it. Still felt crowded to us. Women will need a headscarf, and you take off your shoes at the entrance, so keep that in mind if you tend to go without socks. It might've been a free entry, I don't actually remember. It was built in about seven or eight years, and when you look up and you see what they did in seven or eight years it's remarkable. It's an absolutely stunning building. The Stained Glass Window's are gorgeous, the tiles are amazing. It's stunning. And both a tourist attraction and active mosque.

One of the more impressive Mosques we have visited. For starters, you guessed it, it's blue in…read morecolor. The massive columns inside and the height of the ceiling stands out most of all. Remember to respect the culture by removing your shoes before entering. No men shorts and women need to cover their shoulders and head otherwise, entry will be denied. This is a must see and it's iconic and free to enter so make sure to visit it.

Our local tour guide (Safiye) took us down for a stroll on İstiklal Avenue, which is a well known…read moreshopping street in Istanbul. That included taking us inside St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church. In a City full of stunning mosques and sprinkling of Eastern Orthodox, visiting this Roman Catholic establishment kind of turned the tourist saying of "Oh Joy, another Church!" on its head. We found the interior to be very impressive and comforting. This is the largest church in Istanbul and has Italian pedigree, both in its founding and in its clergy today. Depending on the day of the week, one could attend Mass in either Turkish, English, or Italian. Pope John XXIII preached here for 10 years while he was the Vatican's ambassador to Turkey before being chosen as pope. He is known as "the Turkish Pope" because of his fluency in Turkish and his oft-expressed love for Turkey and Istanbul. Gayle and I were able to admire a statue of him installed within the church's courtyard. I also detected a bit of Byzantine/Eastern Orthodox influence within a few of the "Icons" inside the church. One was how the 3 fingers are put together to signify the Trinity, with the back 2 fingers following. And if we stuck around longer, my guess is that we might have seen people crossing themselves in either the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox mode.

Went here for Christmas Eve service - absolutely beautiful!! Decorated to the nines both inside…read moreand out. If you're around Taksim Square on Christmas Eve, stop by for a visit at least. If you want to stay for mass on Christmas Eve, come early. 45 minutes before the service and it was standing room only. Very diverse crowd!

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchy in Fener neighborhood is one of the sights that one should visit in…read morethe old part of the city. It's the core of the Orthodox world thus many Greeks come to visit the church. Each weekend they conduct mass and if you're lucky you may meet the Patriach himself as well. Don't forget to visit Fener and Balat neighborhood after/before your visit and get lost in the "old Istanbul".

With chandeliers and all interior design, the patriarchate has a very illuminating feel. Sacred…read morerelics and reliefs are kept here. The stone which was used to tie Jesus was brought there from Jerusalem. Since the 6th century the Phanar Greek Patriarchate has been the center of Orthodoxy. It was first founded by Constantine the Great in 330 AD. By the time Fatih Sultan Mehmed legalized the the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate after the conquest of Istanbul, Gennadios II was assigned as patriarch and he operated the patriarchate from the Apostles Church. The building was moved from one place to another several times.

Cool historical site. Nice view of city from top. Nice interpretive content explaining history of…read moretower. Price (30 euros) is too high (but Isanbul's tourist attractions in general are priced quite high) but Museum Turkey pass covers site. Definitely a site worth checking out.

Originally commissioned by Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great in the 6th century as a…read morelighthouse, it would then serve as a strategic watchtower, later a dungeon, now it's a museum. It's the iconic symbol of Istanbul. I think this might be the only UNESCO World Heritage Site I couldn't give 5 stars to, and that's because they don't keep to posted hours. It's sometimes just closed and there's no way to find out without coming here. Some reviews say to visit if nearby, but there are plenty of reasons to be in the area anyway, crossing the bridge over the Bosphorus, climbing up to or back from Pera, and the shopping right around here. Plus, you can meet some nice cats. The view from the top is spectacular, the climb up a little less fun. It's one of the oldest structures surviving in Istanbul, so even if entry is closed, it is well worth it to get up close and look at it from all around. The aggressive guides are a nuisance and you certainly don't need them.

I was a tad obsessed with the Maiden Tower before our Istanbul visit. I didn't think I'd have time…read moreto check it out, but I managed to do so and it didn't dissappoint. Just a ferry boat small trip on the Asian side of Istanbul in Uskudar. I am sure it looks nice during sunset, but I loved it on a cloudy windy day as well. Leander's Tower dates from the Byzantine period, it has a long history, it burnt, it was rebuild a few times. For the film geeks, you can see it in a Bond movie, "The World Is Not Enough" with Sophie Marceau. The legend says that a sultan built it for his daughter to avoid a prophecy of dying from a snake bite. It happened anyway. Off the beaten path, but worth checking it out if you have the time while visiting Istanbul!

As we took our tour of the Bosphorus, we passed by the Maiden's Tower, we had seen it before during…read moreour earlier trip and we had enjoyed its sights from the Asian side coast several times. It is an iconic landmark in Istanbul. All the way back in 408 BC the Athenian general Alcibiades probably built a custom station for ships coming from the Black Sea, that was the first document of what is the Maiden's tower today. In the early millenia after Christ, the tower was used as a watch tower for troops defending the city. It had also been used as a lighthouse, quarantine station and as a site for several modern movies and TV series seen worldwide. Today, the interior is now a café and restaurant, with private boats taking visitors from the mainland to this small rock formation.