If you take the Bosporus cruise, you will see the Rumeli Hisarı Fortress on the European side…read more Don't miss visiting this fortress because there are great views and there is so much history in this place! In 1453, after a thousand years, the Byzantine Empire came to an end with the Fall of Constantinople. For the next 500 years the Ottoman Empire ruled the area. Rumeli Hisarı means 'Fortress in the land of the Romans.' It was built in 1452 by the order of the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II. You can take Bus 25E (Kabataş--Sarıyer) to reach the fortress. Get out at the Rumeli Hisarı stop.

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.

You can't miss this passageway! There is a nice stained glass design above the entrance on…read moreIstaklal Street. Cool little arcade full of restaurants (a few shops too). I heard from a tour guide that Russian Emigres got permission to sell flowers in this arcade a hundred years ago or so. The word Çiçek means flower in Turkish. The restaurants are traditional meyhane, which is a Persian word which means something like 'wine house'. In short, there are pubs there. I found this on a tour with the fantastic guide by the name if Katerina. Check out the Culinary Backstreets Tour of Istanbul.

An absolutely stunning mosque in the heart of Istanbul. Decorated inside with over 20,000…read moreblue-toned iznik tiles, it's truly a masterpiece. Likely one of the most visited sites due to its location in Sultanahmet Square. It is an example of Ottoman commitment to Islam and a reflection of their immense wealth. Like most mosques in the city, it's completely free to enter. Women must wear a head scarf and be modestly dressed. Scarves are provided if you don't have one. The mosque is very crowded during peak hours. I've had better luck in the evening for a more peaceful experience. Worth a visit and worth the hype!

We came here because you can't really come to Istanbul and not come here to visit. We came right…read morebefore prayer time, and it was reasonably uncrowded as I understand it. Still felt crowded to us. Women will need a headscarf, and you take off your shoes at the entrance, so keep that in mind if you tend to go without socks. It might've been a free entry, I don't actually remember. It was built in about seven or eight years, and when you look up and you see what they did in seven or eight years it's remarkable. It's an absolutely stunning building. The Stained Glass Window's are gorgeous, the tiles are amazing. It's stunning. And both a tourist attraction and active mosque.

The Greek Orthodox Patriarchy in Fener neighborhood is one of the sights that one should visit in…read morethe old part of the city. It's the core of the Orthodox world thus many Greeks come to visit the church. Each weekend they conduct mass and if you're lucky you may meet the Patriach himself as well. Don't forget to visit Fener and Balat neighborhood after/before your visit and get lost in the "old Istanbul".

With chandeliers and all interior design, the patriarchate has a very illuminating feel. Sacred…read morerelics and reliefs are kept here. The stone which was used to tie Jesus was brought there from Jerusalem. Since the 6th century the Phanar Greek Patriarchate has been the center of Orthodoxy. It was first founded by Constantine the Great in 330 AD. By the time Fatih Sultan Mehmed legalized the the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate after the conquest of Istanbul, Gennadios II was assigned as patriarch and he operated the patriarchate from the Apostles Church. The building was moved from one place to another several times.

Our local tour guide (Safiye) took us down for a stroll on İstiklal Avenue, which is a well known…read moreshopping street in Istanbul. That included taking us inside St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church. In a City full of stunning mosques and sprinkling of Eastern Orthodox, visiting this Roman Catholic establishment kind of turned the tourist saying of "Oh Joy, another Church!" on its head. We found the interior to be very impressive and comforting. This is the largest church in Istanbul and has Italian pedigree, both in its founding and in its clergy today. Depending on the day of the week, one could attend Mass in either Turkish, English, or Italian. Pope John XXIII preached here for 10 years while he was the Vatican's ambassador to Turkey before being chosen as pope. He is known as "the Turkish Pope" because of his fluency in Turkish and his oft-expressed love for Turkey and Istanbul. Gayle and I were able to admire a statue of him installed within the church's courtyard. I also detected a bit of Byzantine/Eastern Orthodox influence within a few of the "Icons" inside the church. One was how the 3 fingers are put together to signify the Trinity, with the back 2 fingers following. And if we stuck around longer, my guess is that we might have seen people crossing themselves in either the Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox mode.

Went here for Christmas Eve service - absolutely beautiful!! Decorated to the nines both inside…read moreand out. If you're around Taksim Square on Christmas Eve, stop by for a visit at least. If you want to stay for mass on Christmas Eve, come early. 45 minutes before the service and it was standing room only. Very diverse crowd!