Sultanahmet district

The Sultanahmet district, in Istanbul

The Sultanahmet district is the historic and tourist heart of Istanbul, where the Greeks founded Byzantium nearly three thousand years ago. The Istanbul audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this district that concentrates the great monuments of the city, from the palace of Topkapi to the Grand Bazaar, from the Blue Mosque to Hagia Sophia, on the site of the former great palace of Byzantium.

History

Here you are in the heart of the Sultanahmet district, the most touristic of Istanbul, where most of the great sites of the city gather. If it abounds in history to this point, it is simply because it is here that the Greeks founded Byzantium, nearly three thousand years ago. You find yourself there where rose, centuries later, the vastest ensemble of the city: the great palace of Byzantium, made of several buildings constructed over time by the successive emperors and descending towards the sea. There remains almost nothing of these imposing works, but the passionate can see some vestiges at the museum of archaeology. Today, it is the touristic district par excellence, lined by the palace of Topkapi, the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. There is also found the museum of Turkish and Islamic arts, the archaeological museum and the former hippodrome of Constantinople, as well as numerous hotels and shops, even if few Istanbulites still reside there.

What to see

Here you wander in the historic heart of Istanbul, where the Greeks founded Byzantium nearly three thousand years ago, on the site of the former great Byzantine palace; the district concentrates the great monuments, palace of Topkapi, Grand Bazaar, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, hippodrome and museums. Sultanahmet is the unmissable district of Istanbul. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Sultanahmet district extends in the Fatih district, on the historic peninsula of Istanbul, reachable on foot and served by the tramway. It is a district in free access, that concentrates the majority of the sites of the city; each monument follows its own hours and conditions. You discover it during a walk.

Why is the Sultanahmet district so rich in history?

Because it is here that the Greeks founded Byzantium nearly three thousand years ago, and that the great Byzantine palace rose later; today the tourist heart of Istanbul, the district concentrates the great monuments of the city, the palace of Topkapi, the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the former hippodrome and several museums.

Where is the Sultanahmet district in Istanbul?

On the historic peninsula of Istanbul, in the Fatih district, in Turkey.