Istanbul/Sultanahmet-Old City

The Old City of Istanbul (Turkish: Eski İstanbul, "Old Istanbul", also Tarihi Yarımada, "Historic Peninsula" and Suriçi, "Walled City") is the oldest part of the city, and the location of most of its historic sights.

Understand


Constantinople exclusively referred to this peninsula surrounded by water to its north, east, and south (the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, and the Sea of Marmara, respectively) and by the old city walls to its west. The rest of what is today Istanbul were independent urban and rural communities, fields or even complete wilderness later absorbed by the city. This process is still going on as Istanbul grows with an increasing speed.

The construction of Yenikapı train and subway station, from 2004 to 2014, on the southern coast of the peninsula, revealed archeological finds that date the very first time of Istanbul's settlement back to about 8000 years ago, which makes the city one of the oldest still-inhabited spots of the world. However, tradition states that Byzantium was first settled by Greek colonists from Megara on the Greek mainland in 667 BC. According to this tradition, they and their leader Byzas consulted the Delphi oracle, who said they would create a great harbor city "across from the land of the blind". After much sailing, they arrived at the strategically superb peninsular site of the Seraglio Point (Sarayburnu) and encountered some fishermen who told them they lived in Chalcedon, a very less privileged site across the Bosphorus. ("They are the blind!", said Byzas to himself). This spot that the Megarans chose to found their new colony is now occupied by Gülhane Park and the Topkapı Palace. The urban area was greatly expanded by Constantine the Great for his Imperial capital, inaugurated on 330 AD: foundations of the Constantine walls were uncovered by the digs for Yenikapı station. Later on, Theodosius II extended the urban development even further out — the Theodosian Walls built during his reign in the 5th century have enclosed the entirety of the peninsula.

By the time of the Ottoman conquest, the peninsula was the last vestige of the Byzantine Empire, except a strip of land along the Black Sea up to the Bay of Burgas and arguably the far-away territories held by loosely associated entities in the Peloponnese in the west, Crimea in the north, and Trabzon in the east.

Once the starting point of the Hippie Trail, the Sultanahmet area has been the main tourist district of the city since the 1960s. As the Hippodrome of Constantinople, it was for long one of the main social centres in the city — a role it still seasonally plays during the evening feasts in Ramadan — and hence is a part of the old city with an exceptionally disproportionate number of historic sights. The name of the district derives from the Turkish name of the imposing Blue Mosque on one side of its main square, which in turn is named after the Ottoman sultan Ahmet I (r. 1603–1617), who had the mosque built, and is buried in a mausoleum on its grounds.

Parts of the peninsula have been in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985.

In an administrative reform in 2009, the area covered in this guide was declared the district of Fatih, after a quarter in the northwest of the peninsula and its central mosque (see the listing below). While you may see this naming in use in official material and e.g. the postal addresses, this guide sticks with the colloquial usage which applies the narrower definition, and Fatih refers to the said quarter only.

Orientation
The peninsula is formed by a number of elongated plateaus, which gently descend to the valleys in-between and rather more steeply to the coastlines. Some points of these plateaus are relatively higher than their surroundings, and these are known as the "seven hills of Constantinople/Istanbul", replicating the model of Rome, which also has seven hills in its ancient core. Obviously, all of this is heavily built-up now, but the topography is still there.

The ancient Mese ("Middle Street") of Constantinople still forms a major thoroughfare. Its present-day names are Divan Yolu Caddesi ("the state council road", the Ottoman-era ceremonial route leading to the palace, and lined by numerous 16th–19th-century Ottoman imperial tombs in various styles) between Sultanahmet (ancient Augustaion, the Ist hill) and Çemberlitaş (Forum Constantini, the Forum of Constantine, the IInd hill), Yeniçeriler Caddesi from Çemberlitaş to Beyazıt (Forum Tauri, the Forum of the Bull, or of Theodosius, the IIIrd hill), and Ordu Caddesi gradually sloping down west from Beyazıt through Laleli, where fragmented and unidentified antiquities from the Theodosian forum are displayed along the southern sidewalk, to Aksaray (Forum Bovis, the Forum of the Ox). The tram line runs along its entire course, and the section between Beyazıt and Sultanahmet is closed to motorized traffic.

East from Sultanahmet, the tram line curves around the contour of the peninsula, following Alemdar Caddesi and then Ebussuud Caddesi through Gülhane down to Sirkeci — Ankara Caddesi forms a helpful, more direct shortcut here for pedestrians and other traffic.

From Sirkeci and adjoining Eminönü (connected to Galata by the Galata Bridge), a major street follows the shoreline of the Golden Horn, successively named Ragıp Gümüşpala Caddesi, Abdülezelpaşa Caddesi, and Ayvansaray Caddesi towards northwest. It is served by the tram line.

At Aksaray, Ordu Cd connects to Atatürk Bulvarı, the central north-south boulevard in one of the valleys. Atatürk Blv runs from Yenikapı on the Marmara coast to the Unkapanı Bridge crossing the Golden Horn (beyond to Beyoğlu and Taksim Square). The metro line roughly follows the same direction underground, albeit some distance away to the east. West of Aksaray, Ordu Cd splits into two 1950s-built boulevards leading towards the city walls on either side of the Topkapı gate (the VIIth hill; a word of caution: this is nowhere near the identically named Topkapı Palace): Millet Caddesi, or officially Turgut Özal Bulvarı, is the southern one where the tram line continues along the central strip. The sites in the southwest are most easily accessed by diverging off west of Aksaray into Cerrahpaşa Caddesi. To the north, Vatan Caddesi, officially Adnan Menderes Bulvarı is the other modern boulevard — resembling more of an urban motorway for better and worse — and follows the valley of the ancient Lycus River, with the metro line underneath.

Vezneciler Caddesi branches off from Ordu Cd at Beyazıt, where a series of alleys leads north to Süleymaniye. Past the interchange with Atatürk Blv, the street is named Fevzipaşa Caddesi. Paralleling southerly Vatan Cd from that point on, Fevzipaşa Cd follows the ridge to Fatih (the IVth hill) and eventually to the Edirnekapı gate (the VIth hill) of the walls. At Fatih, a collection of streets leads down to the Golden Horn, through Istanbul's ultraconservative quarter (see the "stay safe" notice below) of Çarşamba (the Vth hill).

Finally, Kennedy Caddesi, built on land reclaimed from the sea in the late 1950s thus stranding the sea walls inland, roars its way from Sirkeci around the Seraglio Point and then along the Marmara coast, through Cankurtaran, Kumkapı (the location of the European portal of the Eurasia Tunnel, Avrasya Tüneli, linking under the Bosphorus with the Asian Side), Yenikapı, Cerrahpaşa, Samatya, and Yedikule towards the western suburbs. The tram line, running along the right-of-way of the old railway into Sirkeci in the heart of the Old City, more or less tracks the same route.

Of course, there are innumerable secondary streets and a labyrinthine network of perhaps thousands of alleys connecting with these main roads and each other, but fear not: getting lost is one of the joys of strolling Old Istanbul, and the rough areas you may unknowingly stumble into are few and far between. If you feel really lost, head towards the first glimpse of the sea, and you will soon meet one of the above routes.

Get in
Being central, the Old City is easy to reach by public transport. See also Istanbul main page: note especially that Atatürk Airport closed in April 2019, and that Sirkeci railway station has closed - trains from Europe terminate at Halkali.

By metro
The Marmaray cross-city line runs between Halkalı in the western suburbs, via several dozen stops including Sirkeci, under the Bosphorus to Kadıköy, then out east to Pendik and Gebze. Trains run 06:00-23:00 every 15 mins, fares are by distance but won't exceed 21,91TL. This is the quickest way to reach Asia side, and to connect with mainline trains east and west. For a more direct route to Sultanahmet from the Asian side, consider taking the Marmaray train line from Üsküdar or Ayrılık Çeşmesi stations, which passes under the Bosphorus and arrives at Sirkeci station, within walking distance to Sultanahmet.

Metro lines from the western suburbs (including the main bus station at Esenler) and  from north of the Golden Horn meet each other and Marmaray at Yenikapı, which is useful for a transfer to the tram line T1 (Aksaray station, 600 m apart) as well as to the nearby ferry port. On M2, the other useful stations are Vezneciler for the scattered sights around Süleymaniye and Fatih, and another chance to change to T1 (Laleli-Üniversite, 280 m), and Haliç station on the Golden Horn metro bridge, where you can change to the tram line T5 (Cibali, 750 m). On M1, Aksaray is the transfer station to T1 (Yusufpaşa, 250 m away) and Emniyet-Fatih provides a secondary approach to the Fatih area (some uphill walking).

By tram
The tram line T1 is the most useful public transportation route, with stations close to most of the major sites. It runs the length of the peninsula, and links with Galata and further north, and the suburbs in the west. Within the old city, the most helpful stations are at Eminönü, Sirkeci, Gülhane, Sultanahmet, Beyazıt, and Aksaray. With a transfer at Kabataş from the funicular line down from Taksim, this line also offers one of the easiest approaches from that area. Trams can be very crowded, but services are frequent and journey times are short.

The tram line T5 runs north from Eminönü (although from a separate station from that of T1) along the Golden Horn to Fener, Balat, and Ayvansaray, eventually reaching Eyüp and Alibeyköy Cep Otogarı, the secondary intercity bus station on the outer beltway.

The tram line U3/T6 skirts the eastern and southern coast and serves the southwest, with transfers to T1 at Sirkeci, M1A, M1B, M2 and Marmaray B1 at Yenikapı, and once again to Marmaray B1 at Kazlıçeşme.

The tram line T4 is outside the district, but marginally useful: the stations near its southern terminus are just outside the city walls (including Topkapı, where it's possible to change to the T1 station of the same name). It diverges off at Edirnekapı towards the northwestern suburbs.

By bus

 * Any bus to Eminönü or Beyazıt will pass within 10 mins walk of Sultanahmet.
 * Buses bound for Kocamustafapaşa (#35 from Eminönü, #35A from Aksaray, #35C from Taksim) and Kazlıçeşme (#80 from Eminönü, #80T from Taksim) are the only reasonable public transport option for the sites in the southwest.

By boat
Ferries cross the Bosphorus from Kadıköy and Üsküdar to Eminönü. There are also smaller private boats plying on the same routes. Another option is to take the ferry from Üsküdar to Kabataş and take the tram. If you are arriving in Istanbul by one of fast ferries from towns across on the southern and southeastern coast of Marmara, your likely point of entry to the city is Yenikapı on the southern shore of the peninsula.



By taxi
In Istanbul there are plenty of yellow taxis and cab fares are not expensive. A ride from Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Sultanahmet is about 45 km and costs around 145 TL, as of Feb 2018.

On foot
Most of the sights in the old city are close enough to be negotiated on foot, as they are in or near Sultanahmet Square. For many others, just follow the tram tracks. However, between Eminönü/Sirkeci and Sultanahmet, it's quicker to shortcut along Ankara Cd as the tramline makes a roundabout loop through that part of the city.

The sidewalk along the street between Sirkeci, Gülhane, and Sultanahmet is not very wide and trams pass along fairly close to the sidewalk, so watch your step especially when you hear tram's bell.

See
Many of Istanbul’s historical gems, mostly Byzantine and Ottoman-built monuments are within the Old City. Most are located a short walk away from Sultanahmet Square, if not immediately on the edges of it. Some other sights are scattered throughout the peninsula.

Sultanahmet Square



 * [[Image:Turkey - Blue Mosque.jpg|thumb|Sultanahmet also known as the Blue Mosque]]
 * [[Image:Basilica Cistern Istanbul.JPG|thumb|Basilica Cistern]]
 * [[Image:Turkey - Blue Mosque.jpg|thumb|Sultanahmet also known as the Blue Mosque]]
 * [[Image:Basilica Cistern Istanbul.JPG|thumb|Basilica Cistern]]
 * [[Image:Basilica Cistern Istanbul.JPG|thumb|Basilica Cistern]]
 * [[Image:Basilica Cistern Istanbul.JPG|thumb|Basilica Cistern]]
 * [[Image:Basilica Cistern Istanbul.JPG|thumb|Basilica Cistern]]

North of Sultanahmet to Eminönü

 * [[Image:Gulhane park Istanbul 2007 003.jpg|thumb|Main footpath of Gülhane Park lined with plane trees]]

North of Beyazıt: Vezneciler and Süleymaniye

 * Valens 2012 DK.jpg
 * [[Image:Molla Zeyrek Camii.jpg|thumb|Zeyrek Mosque with the three former churches making it up still distinguishable]]
 * [[Image:Molla Zeyrek Camii.jpg|thumb|Zeyrek Mosque with the three former churches making it up still distinguishable]]

Northwest: Fatih to Edirnekapı

 * [[Image:Chora Church Constantinople 2007 010.jpg|thumb|Interior of Chora Church]]
 * [[Image:Chora Church Constantinople 2007 010.jpg|thumb|Interior of Chora Church]]

Along the Golden Horn: Fener, Balat, and Ayvansaray
This was the traditionally non-Muslim inhabited part of Ottoman Istanbul.


 * [[Image:Vas pat blz.jpg|thumb|The tower of Phanar Greek College]]
 * [[Image:Vas pat blz.jpg|thumb|The tower of Phanar Greek College]]
 * [[Image:Vas pat blz.jpg|thumb|The tower of Phanar Greek College]]

Do

 * Walk Along the Golden Horn Poke around forgotten corners just over this hauntingly beautiful inlet from the Bosphorus. You make some thrilling - and chilling - "finds" on cobbled streets as you trace its narrow alleyways and ancient squares. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate housing a column which is believed to have been used for the binding and flogging of criminals in Jerusalem is here. The magnificent Neo-Gothic, Neo Baroque - well literally hand-made doll house - St. Stephens Church is on the western shores. The cascading domes and four slender minarets of the Imperial Suleymaniye Mosque dominating the skyline. One of Istanbul’s surviving mediaeval synagogues, and trendiest houses in town that are now enjoying their second or even third type of use. Highlight is the famous Chora the Byzantine marvel of mosaics and frescoes.

Hamams
Most of Istanbul's historical Turkish baths, known as hamam and quite an inevitable part of any Istanbul experience, are located in Old City around Sultanahmet.

Buy
You can buy tourist-kitsch souvenirs all around the city. A magnet with coloured picture of Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia will cost 2 TL each. Haggling over the price is the norm when shopping. Shopkeepers usually let you offer a price lower than the retail price; once a price agreeable to both is met, then the sale can be finalized.

Shops

 * Rugs and kilims

Areas

 * is the main centre of textile wholesale business, with many stores specializing in leather.
 * , extending from Eminönü uphill to Beyazıt, form the main commercial area for the local clientele. Always busy and crowded, thousands of shops often within centuries-old buildings lining its streets join to create an open-air bazaar atmosphere, where anything from electronics to ornamental plants are in offer. If you can't find what you are looking for here, it's doubtful you can anywhere else.

Eat
Restaurants around Sultanahmet are mainly targeted at tourists, and charge much higher prices than those in places such as Galata. The quality of the restaurants aimed at tourists varies, so it's well worth looking for online reviews or following the recommendations of a good guidebook when making your selection (this also reduces your exposure to the aggressive touts employed by many of the restaurants). If you don't want to spend too much money on food, consider walking away from the Sultanahmet area north or westwards for 10 minutes to have much cheaper – and probably nicer – meal.

Budget
For budget meals it is advisable to avoid the restaurants along the tram line and to the immediate west and south of the Blue Mosque. For really budget places, where locals eat, head to Gedik Paşa Cd, south of Beyazıt, and look around in the side streets. Peykhane Cd, closer to Sultanahmet, features restaurants with meals costing a little more, but still lower than Sultanahmet proper.



Other cuisine
Admit it, you might want a break from Turkish - especially if you've been touring away from the city, where alternatives are rare.



Splurge

 * There's a cluster of fish restaurants beneath the Galata Bridge over to Kadikoy. Their open-air decks have great views of the Old City, with the water traffic bustling past as if you were on a liner in harbour. The sea reflects the view and so do the prices. These places are happy for you just to sit and drink without eating.
 * There's a cluster of fish restaurants beneath the Galata Bridge over to Kadikoy. Their open-air decks have great views of the Old City, with the water traffic bustling past as if you were on a liner in harbour. The sea reflects the view and so do the prices. These places are happy for you just to sit and drink without eating.
 * There's a cluster of fish restaurants beneath the Galata Bridge over to Kadikoy. Their open-air decks have great views of the Old City, with the water traffic bustling past as if you were on a liner in harbour. The sea reflects the view and so do the prices. These places are happy for you just to sit and drink without eating.
 * There's a cluster of fish restaurants beneath the Galata Bridge over to Kadikoy. Their open-air decks have great views of the Old City, with the water traffic bustling past as if you were on a liner in harbour. The sea reflects the view and so do the prices. These places are happy for you just to sit and drink without eating.

Drink
Bars: Sultanahmet doesn't really do freestanding bars, they're usually part of a restaurant or hotel. Some options are: Galata Star on the bridge, Wagon Bar and Red River Pub adjacent off Hüdavendigar Cad, Beni Afet on Atmeydani Cad, Just Bar on Akbiyik Cad, Pierre Loti off Divan Yolu Cad, and Room Bar off Ataturk Blvd.

, an old fishermen quarter south of Beyazıt on the Marmara coast boasts traditional taverns specializing in seafood, with tables lining the streets.

in the southwest was also a fishermen quarter. It is the other area renowned for its taverns, additionally featuring kebabs in their menus.

Cafés and dessert restaurants are numerous. They include:
 * Cagaloglu Hamami Café, Prof. K.I. Gurkan Caddesi, Cagaloglu. Within a former hammam, dating 1741, where you can listen to live traditional Turkish music. Cash only, open W-M 12:00-22:00.

Water: the Ottoman Drinking Fountain is at the corner of Şeyhülislam Hayri Efendi Cad and Bankacilir Sk. It's probably okay to drink; it's definitely okay for rinsing face and hands when you're sticky with baklava from the cafes.

Sleep
Accommodation in the peninsula is mostly around Sultanahmet. Budget hotels and hostels are clustered in Cankurtaran, the neighbourhood just south of Sultanahmet Square towards the coastal strip of Kennedy Cd.

Istanbul has a large community of CouchSurfing.com users who will let you stay at their home free. In return you take your host out for a meal, and spend time sharing your culture with them.

Splurge




Post
Post offices are numerous across the district. The (Büyük Postane), in Sirkeci, is a sight in itself. Once the headquarters of the Ottoman ministry of post and telegraph, it's a grand building from the early 20th century in the first national style (also known as Turkish neoclassical), and hosts a postal museum.

Don't expect the odd post box you may spot in the streets or at the entrances of the museums to be emptied frequently or even at all. Take your postage to the offices instead.

Internet
All of Sultanahmet Park (between Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque) is a wifi hotspot free of charge.

There are also a couple of internet cafes along the tram line between Sultanahmet and Gülhane.

Stay safe
The focal point of the peninsula for travellers, Sultanahmet Square, is safe and policed during day and night, so by staying within the realms of common sense, you shouldn't encounter problems there. However, there are some issues to keep in mind for the rest of the old city:
 * The dilapidated, though picturesque, neighbourhoods around Süleymaniye, Zeyrek, the banks of the Golden Horn west of Atatürk Boulevard (i.e., parts of the neighbourhoods of Balat, Fener, Ayvansaray), and along the Marmara coast (especially Kumkapı west to Yenikapı and around Samatya) are home to the impoverished recent immigrants to the city. While this doesn't automatically translate to these neighbourhoods being dangerous, it is best to avoid them (especially narrow back lanes) during the evening and night. The main tourist sites in these neighbourhoods, such as Süleymaniye Mosque or the taverns at Kumkapı, and the main streets leading to them are perfectly safe, though.
 * Too skimpy clothing (which might be defined differently by the locals than you do) will likely attract unwanted attention and perhaps reaction from the ultraconservative inhabitants of Çarşamba, a neighbourhood between Fatih and the Golden Horn.
 * Taking a close look into the details of the city walls (both land and sea) near the gates, major sights or along the major roads that cross them is okay, but elsewhere keep a respectable distance while enjoying their view. Although rare, stabbings and even murders of those who ventured too far into the lonely sections of the walls aren't unheard of.
 * Scams involving extremely overpriced drinks are common at nightclubs around Aksaray, which are best avoided completely. These are quite dangerous with the possible involvement of organized crime. See the "stay safe" section of the main Istanbul article for more details on this.
 * Around Aksaray and Laleli, there are a number of illegal brothels which are not controlled by health authorities in any way. If you choose to engage in such activity, keep in mind that the (usually Eastern European and Central Asian) women you will encounter are more often than not involuntarily forced into prostitution to "pay off" the cost of their trip to Istanbul (where they were hoping to get decent jobs) and had their passports seized by their "boss". 24-hr national hotline phone # 157, with operators speaking in English, Russian, and Romanian in addition to Turkish is where you can report such incidents to bring the victims to safety.
 * In Eminönü's crowded underground passages (and in the rest of Eminönü, in general), be extremely wary of pickpockets, especially when climbing up and down the stairs.

Istanbul Police Department has a "tourism police" office with multilingual staff in Sultanahmet, just across the street from Hagia Sophia, where you can report passport loss or any other problems.