Things to Do in Istanbul

Istanbul is the only city in the world that sits on two continents — Europe and Asia, separated by the Bosphorus strait. Things to do in Istanbul are shaped by this unique position: three thousand years of history have left an extraordinary layering of empires, religions and cultures on a single city. The Hagia Sophia, built as a Christian cathedral in 537 AD, transformed into a mosque and then a museum, and recently returned to a mosque, is a symbol of Istanbul's complexity. The Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar — one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets — crowd the historic peninsula of Sultanahmet. Across the Golden Horn, Beyoğlu and İstiklal Caddesi offer a modern, cosmopolitan Istanbul of restaurants, galleries and music venues. A Bosphorus cruise reveals the city from the water — a perspective that makes its scale and beauty fully visible.