Photo: Alvesgaspar (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Türkiye
Istanbul
The only city on two continents
City · Türkiye
Discover Istanbul
Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents, divided by the Bosphorus into a European and an Asian side. It was the Ottoman capital for nearly five centuries, which left it the sultans' mosques, palaces and bazaars, and its historic areas were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1985.
On the historic peninsula, Hagia Sophia, a mosque again since 2020, faces the Blue Mosque, with Topkapı Palace behind them. The palace's Chamber of the Sacred Relics keeps the Mantle and the Sword of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the Quran has been recited there without interruption for centuries. A few steps away lie the Grand Bazaar and, by the Galata Bridge, the Spice Bazaar.
The Bosphorus is the city's other heart: a boat ride past palaces and old villages on both shores, Ortaköy Mosque beneath the bridge and Dolmabahçe Palace at the water's edge. On the Asian side, Çamlıca Mosque, the largest in Türkiye, looks over the whole city from its hill.
Istanbul suits families all year, and is at its best in spring and autumn. We suggest at least three nights, with a private car and driver to spare you the city's traffic.
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ShoppingThe Grand BazaarOne of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 60 streets and thousands of shops.
ShoppingThe Spice BazaarA 17th-century Ottoman market by the Galata Bridge, for spices, Turkish delight, nuts and tea.
LandmarkSultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque)A six-minaret mosque built between 1609 and 1616, called blue for its tiles.
LandmarkTopkapı PalaceThe Ottoman sultans' residence for centuries, home of the Sacred Relics and the Prophet's Mantle.
Türkiye
