Overview
Istanbul straddles the Bosphorus strait, with one foot in Europe and one in Asia. Capital in turn of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, it is Turkiye's largest city and a crossroads of cultures layered over nearly three thousand years.
A Short History
Founded as Byzantium and refounded by Constantine as Constantinople in 330 AD, the city was the capital of the Roman and then Byzantine empire for over a thousand years. After the Ottoman conquest of 1453 it became the heart of a vast empire; renamed Istanbul in 1930, it remains Turkiye's cultural and economic capital.
What to See
Hagia Sophia
A 6th-century domed masterpiece that has been church, mosque, and museum in turn.
The Blue Mosque
Six minarets and a cascade of domes over walls lined with blue Iznik tiles.
Topkapi Palace
The opulent court of the Ottoman sultans, high above the Golden Horn.
Grand Bazaar
One of the world's oldest covered markets, a maze of thousands of shops.
Plan your visit
Short on time? Follow our ready-made route through the best of Istanbul in a single day.