Turkey Guide
İstanbul
Sultanahmet
Address: Old Istanbul
Most short-stay visitors spend all their time in Sultanahmet, home of İstanbul's main sightseeing attractions: the Topkapı Palace, heart of the Ottoman Empire; the Sultanahmet Camii (better known as the Blue Mosque); and the greatest legacy of the Byzantine Empire, the church of Aya Sofya. Here also are the ancient Hippodrome, the Museum of Islamic Culture (housed in the former Palace of İbrahim Paşa), the Yerebatan underground cistern and the Kapalı Çarşı, the largest covered bazaar in the world. The monumental architecture, attractive parks and gardens, street-side cafes, and the benefits of a relatively traffic-free main road (courtesy of the tramline) combine to make this area pleasant for both sightseeing and staying.
On the negative side, large numbers of persistent hustlers gather around the Hippodrome and Divan Yolu Caddesi, badgering new arrivals to visit their carpet shop or offering to act as a guide. Ignore them in a friendly but firm manner, otherwise you'll end up spending more time (and money) on carpet shopping than you dreamed possible.