One of the most amazing places I've ever seen, let me start with the negatives so you're prepared…read more Even in the off season, it's crowded. Part of the crowd are guided tours, quite the nuisance and do not fall prey to the multitude of charlatans aggressively touting their personal guide services. What you need instead is a little personal research using Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, or National Geographic tour guides. Be prepared for the steep admission charge, and remember this is a must see, and an expensive place to maintain, it's in constant restoration. That may interfere with good PICs that show the majesty of the place, but certainly doesn't subtract from the historic experience. This was the third church built in the same location, it is the archetype of Byzantine Architecture, built by famed mathematicians Anthemios and Isidoros as ordered by Emperor Justinianos in 532 to 537. That was very fast in those days, and impossible today, renovations will take twice as long. It survived sacking and looting by the Fourth Crusade and being converted to a mosque by the Ottomans. In fact, ruing the reign of Murad III, architect Sinan added buttresses and Islamic artistic touches that reinforced the structure to endure earthquakes. It's one of the many UNESCO World Heritage sites in Turkey, it is a museum and a mosque. The breathtaking and dizzying dome reads: "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. His light is like a niche in which there is a lamp, the lamp is in a crystal, the crystal is like a shining star, lit from (the oil of) a blessed olive tree, (located) neither to the east nor the west, whose oil would almost glow, even without being touched by fire." (Nur, 24/35) The work of Kazasker Mustafa Izzet Efendi,calligrapher during the reign of Sultan Abdulmejid. Dress appropriately and respectfully, it's still a mosque.

Ok, the story is a bit surprising since it was a catholic church during the Roman Empire and now…read moreconverted into a mosque and museum. I was a bit put out off from the high ticket price of $25 per person to go inside. Yes, we paid our fee and did a prearranged guided tour but did not feel like it was not a fair deal. The inside had scaffolding due to the interior renovation that is in the works. I've been to churches all over the world and only the Vatican is worth that kind of ticket price, In my opinion. There are a few remaining frescoes that you can see be seen but overall it was underrated and more of a cash grab to fund reconstruction.

This museum is located behind Topkapi Palace so if you are going there, you might as well come…read morehere. It wasn't nearly as crowded as the other museums and features artifacts from nearly all periods and civilizations in history. The history of coinage, archaeological artifacts, and Greek statutes, this museum is a must see. I would suggest going early in the morning to beat any crowds.

I would also consider this a must-see in Istanbul, it's quite a collection of artifacts across the…read morelong history of what is now Turkiye and what was the Ottoman Empire. The descriptions are in Turkish and English, you really don't need a guide, so ignore them around the entrance. I can tell from the YELP reviews over time and from the new appearance of many of the rooms that there's been quite a bit of improvement over time. This started out as a sarcophagi museum but expanded, the collection still seems to be expanding. It was nice to visit here after having seen Ephesus, Bergama, and Sagalassos; and I would very much like to return to Turkey to visit some of the many other Greek and Roman sites. There are two other must-see museums in Istanbul, Topkapi Palace and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art. Topkapi is much more expensive than the other two, we only realized too late to get the museum pass that will really save you money if you're going to visit these and other museums. Allow at least 3-4 hours here, and bring some cat treats to make friends with the felines in front.

Underneath Istanbul are many ancient cisterns to help store water thousands of years ago. This one…read moreis an alternative to the Basilica Cistern and cheaper to get in. Go inside and purchase tickets. It's around $25, but much cheaper for locals. (As it should be.) Walk down the stairs to the dark space where a light show plays for around 10 minutes. It's a unique experience but worth it only once in my opinion. It is wild to think this cistern was lost for years before rediscovered.

It's okay, unless you're easily impressed with light shows (which honestly could be better here)…read more The cistern is very small and there's not much to do for more than 15 mins. For the money, go to the Basilica Cistern aka Yerebatan Sarnici.

Incredible museum…read more This small museum near the Arasta Bazaar is dedicated solely to the recovered mosaics from the Byzantine period, unearthed at the site of the Great Palace of Constantinople. In 1935 during excavations at the Arasta Bazaar in Sultan Ahmet Square, it was discovered that this area was once part of the south-western Great Palace. The excavations discovered a large courtyard, with a surface of 1872 m², entirely decorated with mosaics. The museum is two levels. Downstairs are very large portions of the floor. Amazingly very intact. From the upper deck you can view down to the lower level, as well as see smaller portions of mosaics on the wall. It takes about a half hour. The notes are well documented in English for travelers. Amazing beauty. Incredible find.

This museum was a gem…read more Just off the bazaar behind the Blue Mosque you will find an impressive collection of mosaics. I don't know that we would have come here if it were not part of the Museum Pass. I'm glad we did. A few large rooms of hunting themed mosaics that you can pass through in about half an hour. Very neat.

Excellent museum, we had saved this museum for a day when the weather was too inclement for a lot…read moreof outdoor sightseeing and since this was winter, pretty much all days weren't ideal and this became a place we visited on the last full day. I'm glad we had a couple of hours because there's a lot to see here. It's a very well arranged museum, so we were able to learn the artistic differences between periods like we were in a very good archaeology class. The textiles, ceramics, and calligraphy (Qurans) were all the more fascinating when arranged by region and epoch. Very good captions and descriptions. In a former palace, the building itself is wonderful, and of course we got to meet some more nice Muslim cats. Yes, it's posted "no pictures," but the guards are concerned with old school film flash photography which would degrade some of the more delicate artifacts, and they are also watching for people touching items unprotected by glass. Just be respectful and don't lick anything. I think that is good advice for life.

This is a nice museum located in the heart of Istanbul inside the palace of Ibrahim Oasha. It's not…read morebig by any means - plan 1.5 hrs max if you read every label. It costs 17 EUR, but you can get a museum pass for a few days which includes this location (total bang for your buck). Wasn't crowded at all (prob because it's March). I was expecting to see more art variety, but this museum should be treated more like an opportunity to learn about the history of Islam, the Ottoman Empire, and all the caliphates of the past. The museum has a rich collection of centuries (or even millenia) old Qurans, rugs, and ceramics that are well preserved. There's also a bit on the history of coffee and coffee shops as well as fashion. Everything was organized in the chronological order and there were plaques in every room explaining the history of the region. The calligraphy pieces were stunning as were Islamic relics such as the beard of the Prophet. Definitely worth a visit if you have a pass and are in the area!

Built in 1472 by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, it originally was a pleasure palace or kiosk…read more Located originally at the outer walls of a Topkapi Palace, today it is included with a visit to the Istanbul Archeology Museum. The word kiosk comes from this type of building. The building resembles a Greek cross but actually represents the four corners of the world and the sovereignty that the Sultan possessed. The portico allowed the Sultan to watch events from an elevated position. Today, the building houses a beautiful collection of rare ceramics ranging from Iznik tile work to peacock fountains to lanterns that illuminated mosques in historic times. Don't miss the beautiful tiled Karaman Mihrab.

She's in the backyard of Topkapi Palace like an ancient, stone-faced roommate who's been around…read moresince the 4th century and just won't move out, Hagia Irene (a.k.a. Saint Irene) is Istanbul's original holy hotspot, older than Hagia Sophia. Constructed during Constantine the Great's reign, this church was built on the ashes of a pagan temple. Because what says "progress" more than plopping a new religion's temple right on top of the old one like an architectural mic drop? Unlike her famous sister Hagia Sophia, Hagia Irene never went through that phase where she became a mosque. She stayed a church until the Ottomans showed up and were like, Cool building, but it would make a better weapons depot. And so, for centuries, Irene stored cannons, swords, and all sorts of medieval mayhem. The church has exactly one surviving fresco. A black cross up in the apse that survived the Iconoclasm, aka the 8th-century version of a social media purge, where religious images were canceled harder than a problematic YouTuber. If you visit Topkapi Palace, pay this spot a visit. She's been through a lot.

Although the glamorous Ayasoyfa is its sister church, the dilapidated Aya Irini is a huge contrast…read more This former Byzantine church is perhaps a tragic reminder that resembles more like a ruin than a museum of an once-glorious monument. Built as the earliest church in Constantinople by Constantine himself, Aya Irini (Hagia Irene - "Holy Peace") paralleled to the now-famous Ayasoyfa in religious importance in the Byzantine capital. However, since the Ottoman conquest, the location of Aya Irini within the new palace complex limit became a curse, as the church was degraded as the armory of the palace guards. Today, Aya Irini is nothing but a shell of its former glory, although it is occasionally used as a concert venue. One cannot help but feel sadness when stepping into Aya Irini especially after being dazzled by the glory of Ayasoyfa. How different are the fates of these two sister churches! Aside from the bare structure itself, virtually nothing of its Byzantine decor remained - except for a simple mosaic of a cross outline, which survived either because it did not violate the Islamic ban on depictions of man or was simply too dull for the Ottoman to even bother. To add insult to this sadness, the whole structure is now overshadowed by a massive net, presumably to catch feces from pigeons - the only creatures who could find joy in this depressing ruin. The historic value of Aya Irini is certainly undeniable, but unless you are interested in this area of history or have a Muzekart which includes the admission, I would not recommend visiting here, because I do not believe that you would be enthralled to pay the 20 TL admission only to see a sad space.