Archeological Museum

The building was constructed by the architect Vallaury through the efforts of the first scientific museum organizer of Turkey, Osman Hamdi Bey, and was opened to public in 1891. The museum displays objects from Byzantium, the Ottoman Empire and the many civilizations of Anatolia and nearby regions including ancient Egypt.

City Museum

The museum was first located in the Bayezit Municipal Library in the year 1939 until it was moved to the Fine Arts building of the Yildiz Palace complex in 1988. On display are paintings depicting the social life of the Ottoman period in Istanbul, calligraphy, textiles, 18th and 19th century porcelains made in the imperial workshops of Yildiz Palace, various glass objects, calligraphy equipment and other objects of daily life.
Closed Thursday.
Barbaros Bulvari, 80690 Besiktas
Tel: (0212) 258 5344

Divan Literature Museum

The first dervish lodge in the city was built in 1492 and belongs to the Mevlevi order. The present wooden structure on the site dates from the late 18th century. It is situated in a large garden that includes a cemetery. Historical objects and literature of the order are displayed.
Closed Monday.
Galipdede Caddesi No. 15, 30850 Tünel
Tel: (0212) 245 4141 / 243 5045

Hagia Irini (Church of St. Irene)
One of the earliest churches of Constantinople, St. Irene served as the church of the Patriarchate before Hagia Sophia was built. The church took its contemporary shape at the beginning of the 4th century under Constantine. It is the only example of a Byzantine church in the city with its original atrium.
The building stands in the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace and was used as an armory by the Janissaries after the conquest of Istanbul. Today it serves mainly as a concert hall because of its excellent acoustics and impressive atmosphere. Closed Monday. Topkapi Palace, 34400 Sultanahmet Tel: (0212) 522 0989 / 522 1750

Hagia Sophia

The story is told that one day during mass, Byzantine Emperor Justinian dropped the holy bread from his hands and before he could grasp it, a bee picked up the bread and flew away. Justinian sent the message to all bee-keepers in the empire to look for the bread in their hives.

After a couple of days, a bee-keeper arrived with a very peculiar looking hive. Justinian decided then and there that a magnificent church to be built would have this hive as its ground plan. Antemius of Trall and Isidor of Miletus were designated as the architects.Hagia Sophia gradually rose up in all its glory.

It covers a surface of 7,570 square meters. Its dome is 55.6 meters high and 32 meters wide. The weight of the dome is carried by 107 columns. Hagia Sophia was used by Christians for over 900 years.

After the conquest of Istanbul by the Turks in 1453, it was immediately adapted for use as a mosque and at various times after that the four minarets were added. It remained a mosque until 1935 when it was declared a museum.
Closed Monday.
Sultanahmet Meydani, 34400
Tel: (0212) 522 0989 / 522 1750

Kariye Museum
This museum was built as the Church of St. Savior in Chora by Byzantine Emperor Justinian. It took its contemporary shape in the 11th century. Logotet Theodoros Metochites produced the frescoes and mosaics, which today constitute one of the world's most important examples of early Byzantine pictorial art.
The mosaics tell the story of the New Testament from the birth of the Virgin Mary to a magnificent scene showing the Resurrection of Christ. The building was turned into a mosque during the reign of Bayezit II. The surrounding neighborhood has many old Ottoman wooden houses. Closed Tuesday. 32240 Edirnekapi Tel: (0212) 512 5474

Yerebatan Cistern (Basilica Cistern)
	Cities in ancient and medieval times were always in danger of siege. In a siege, the main problem was inadequate supply of food and water. The Roman and Byzantine emperors built huge cisterns to solve this problem. The Yerebatan cistern, which was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, was called the basilica cistern because the "trade basilica" stood on the ground above.