Turkey is one of the world’s most sightseeing, adventure seeking countries. In this place there are loads of historical sites and places to visit even if you only have a short day to spend there. If you had one day to be in Turkey, what would you do? The top attractions in Istanbul will amaze you all around and can all be seen in just one day.
The Blue Mosque, as known as the Sultanahmet Mosque, in Turkey, is one of the biggest places for Islamic worship. With it dominating the Istanbul skyline, one of the most notable features of this great place is its six minarets. While most mosques have just four, two, or one, it is very unique for the Blue Mosque to have six. The beautiful architecture of the outside, as well as the inside of this building make it that much worthy of having a look at.
Hagia Sophia
Once a church, later a mosque, and now a museum, the Hagia Sophia is another great spot to see the history of Istanbul. Sitting at the center of the Turkish Republic, this great piece of architecture sets a great place for learning about the history of many civilizations of the Turkish nation, more specifically the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.
If shopping and high end merchandise is more your speed, you can visit Nişantaşı. This quarter of the Şişli district comprises of several neighborhoods, the heart of which is Osmanbey, which is home to Rumeli Street, home of Turkey’s equivalent of London’s King street. There you will find a number of high end retailers, luxury stores, and popular European-style cafés, pubs, restaurants and night clubs.
Another fine landmark steeped in history is the Topkapi Palace. This sprawling historical palace, overlooks the Sea of Marmara. It covers 4 main courtyards and holds a wealth of exhibits from it’s 400 years of history. They also offer an audio tour of the location for a small fee.
And last but not least, don’t miss the Galata Tower. This medieval 9 story stone tower is located in the heart of the Galata square, amidst a sea of brilliant historical architecture. It is a bit of a trek up a hill in order to get to the tower itself. But once there, the panoramic view from the tower offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding areas architecture and environment. It’s the perfect spot to catch some wonderful photos of the surrounding city. There are plenty of cafe’s and shops nearby to sit down and contemplate your next photograph.
Istanbul is an incredible, sprawling, historic city full of life and people and some of the oldest architecture in Europe. There are so very many sites to see, and so much history to take in. Even if you only have a single day, there won’t ever be a dull moment!
