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The idea for the hippodrome originally came from Emperor Septimius Severus in 203. He came to Byzantium to beat down a rebellion in a Roman civil war, after which he raised the city walls, slaughtered most of the inhabitants, and introduced an arena for chariot races and other entertainment.

But it wasn’t until the arrival of Emperor Constantine the Great in 324 that the hippodrome got its final shape. Besides moving the seat of the government from Rome to Byzantium, renaming the city over Nova Roma (New Rome) to Constantinople, one of his greatest accomplishments was the renovation and enlargement of the existing hippodrome.

The new u-shaped track was about 450 meters long and 130 meters wide, surrounded by a stadium with a capacity of approximately 100.000. Constantine also connected the emperor’s box (kathisma) to the then nearby Byzantine Great Palace via a passage which could only be used by the emperor and his family.

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Dolmabahçe Palace was built by famous architect Armenian Garbert Amira Balya, at sultan Abdulmecid’s request in between (1848-1856) years. It is located in between Besiktas and Kabatas, the districts of Istanbul. Ottoman Sultans have many palaces in all ages and their center, main palace was Topkapı Palace because sultan Abdulmecid preferred a more modern place. However Topkapı Palace was abandoned after the completion of Dolmabahçe Palace. It was the imperial place of all following Ottoman Sultans, with the exception of Abdülhamid II (1876-1909) who preferred living in the more lonely Yıldız Palace.

An apartment within it served as Atatürk's residence in Istanbul and he died there on 10 November 1938. Dolmabahçe Palace has 3 floors, symmetrical planned. There are 285 rooms and 43 halls. The exterior walls of the palace was made from the limestone and its roof was covered with the bullet. The entrance of the palace was used as administration of state.

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Kizkulesi is located off the coast of Salacak neighborhood in Üsküdar district, at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus. It literally means "Maiden's Tower" in Turkish. The name comes from a legend: the Byzantine emperor heard a prophecy telling him that his beloved daughter would die at the age of 18 by a snake. So he decided to put her in this tower built on a rock on the Bosphorus isolated from the land thus no snake could kill her. But she couldn't escape from her destiny after all, a snake hidden in a fruit basket brought from the city bit the princess and killed her.

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Taksim square is the real heart of istanbul. this is so popular for tourist and locals. this is the symbol of the modern and secular republic of Turkey, which was formed by Mustafa Kemal or Atatürk. Also, it is one of best place of istanbul for nightlife. taksim square is the center of istanbul city Public transportation. Taksim square is very important for the Istanbul locals . It is the main focus of public and national gatherings. you can find many Shops, hotels, Vendors, Street musicians, Coffee houses here. Finally, visit the Taksim Square is free!

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Away from the old historical district of Sultanahmet, first-time visitors often head to the old Grand Bazaar for a unique shopping experience in Turkey’s largest and oldest market place. Everything you can imagine is sold within this building, made up of a complicated network of passageways and small courtyards. 61 covered streets and more than 3000 shops make the Grand Bazaar an ideal place to shop for souvenirs, although expect to be among crowds since daily more than 250,000 people pass through its gates.

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One of the best historical places in Istanbul is the Topkapi Palace. It acted as a fully functioning city for more than 50,000 people. As the ruling centre from which the Ottoman Empire operated, it is a sprawling mass of historical buildings such as kitchens, circumcision rooms, and the much talked about harem.

The layout is somehow ad-hoc due to extensions and remodelling over 400 years but within the walls, antique collections reflect life of the Ottoman sultans through their clothes, armoury, and jewellery while in the sacred relic room, the prize artefacts are from Muhammad.

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The three buildings making up this historical place are not the main attraction but instead home to one of the world’s best collections of ancient artefacts. Separated into three distinct sections, prize antiques include the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, treasures from the Babylon and Hittite empires as well as 17th century Ottoman ceramics. Within the Ancient Orient Museum, collections include pre-Islamic Arabian art, the oldest love poem from 8th century BC and personal artefacts from the Mesopotamia area, widely considered by many academics to be the cradle of civilization.

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Known locally as Yerebatan Sarayi (meaning Sunken Palace) or Yerebatan Sarnici (Sunken Cistern), this underground water cistern was the major water reservoir of Constantinople. The water was transported from the Belgrade Forest by the immense Byzantine aqueducts (Valens Aqueducts). You can visit the Underground Cistern either with our One Day in Istanbul or Istanbul Layover Tour.
It was built during the reign of Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century but greatly enlarged by Justinian in 537 AD, and used as water storage for the Great Palace during Byzantine times and for the Topkapi Palace under the Ottomans. Most visitors instead head to the back of the cistern to see the unusual upside heads of Medusa.

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Sitting across from the Hagia Sophia, the majestic Blue Mosque dating from 1616 is one of the best historical places in Istanbul. Foreigners can glimpse into the life of secular Muslims in Turkey because the mosque still operates daily for prayers. Also called Sultanahmet cami, entrance to see the blue stained glass windows of the interior is free or donations are gratefully accepted. With its 260 windows and unique 6 minarets, the Blue Mosque is the most famous in Turkey

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As a former church, mosque, and now museum, this structural building represents the crossover that happened to Constantinople from Byzantine rule to Ottoman grandeur. As one of Istanbul’s great glories built   by the emperor Justinian, intricate frescoes adorn the ceiling. Representing scenes from the Bible and prominent figures of the Byzantine Empire, they sit next to large circular plagues pinned to the wall that highlight Islamic calligraphy art. The galleries of the upper level are where the best view of the interior of the iconic building is to be seen.

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The Genoese tower standing in the Galata district is the pathway to an amazing panoramic view of the city of Istanbul, Golden horn and Bosphorus. Originally built as a watchtower in 1348, the top floor is also the venue for evening entertainment in the form of Turkish night shows.

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Minaturk is just what it sounds like: a mini version of treasures found in Turkey. The park contains 105 models done in 1/25th scale, about half of them from Istanbul and the rest from Anatolia and the Ottoman territories outside of Turkey.