About Istanbul

With 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops selling everything from bracelets to lanterns, carpets to leather goods, the Grand Bazaar is not to be missed - if not for the shopping, then for the sheer spectacle of the venue itself. Either way you won't be disappointed. For those intent on picking up a souvenir or two, keep in mind that, in anticipation of a lower offer vendors often start the bidding quite high, so you might want to learn the basics of bargaining before attempting a purchase. Once you've completed the transaction try out the local fare at one of the many restaurants located inside the bazaar.

The Blue Mosque, or Sultan Ahmed Mosque, fuses Byzantine elements from neighboring Hagia Sophia with traditional Islamic architecture. Built on the site of the former Byzantine palace under the direction of Sultan Ahmet I, the mosque was meant to symbolize Ottoman supremacy at a time when cracks in the armor were beginning to show. Unique features include six minarets - only one other mosque in Turkey has as many - and the iznik-style blue tiles that lend the mosque its name. The Blue Mosque is closed to visitors during prayers, which take place five times a day, each session for 90 minutes, so plan your visit carefully! Head to the park facing the mosque at dusk to hear the call to evening prayers and see the mosque lit up by colored floodlights.

Topkapi Palace was the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years. Hundreds of rooms and chambers comprise the palace complex, which was once home to as many as 4,000 people. Among the collection of Ottoman relics housed in the palace are porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, calligraphic manuscripts and murals, many of which can now be viewed as part of the museum's permanent exhibit in the Imperial Treasury. Other areas of exceptional beauty include the Imperial Hall, Apartments of the Queen Mother, and the Privy Chamber of Murat III.