FLIGHTS TO Istanbul

The sultans of Ottoman Empire ruled from this palace built by Mehmet the Conqueror in the 15th Century. This place is nothing short of mesmerizing when it comes to Islamic art and opulent courtyards with hand-painted tile work, beautifully decorated rooms bound with battlemented walls and towers. Sticking feature of this edifice is the Third Court which contains the impressive relics of Prophet Muhammad in the Sacred Safekeeping Room.

Stunning architecture that is a mosque was a gift to the city by Sultan Ahmet I. As the name implies, the interior is decorated using thousands of Iznik tiles. Best experiences of this city involve walking through the gardens between Blue Mosque and Haya Sofya; marveling their domes in twin glory.

Just a jumping and hopping distance away from Topkapi Palace, the complex has 3 sections, each worthy to visit: the main Archeological Museum, Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Pavilion of Mehmet the Conqueror. You’ll find artifacts and ceramic art that represent the expansive history of this region.

You want a quintessential Istanbul experience? Tired of looking at virtually the similar modern shopping complexes around the world? The Grand Bazaar will give you a fresh perspective on shopping. Dazzling patterns and colorful lightings will make you forget about everything as you come across several handicraft items and souvenirs.

Daring to try something outside the norm for taste buds? Spice Bazaar is the best location to find obviously spices, Turkish delights, dried fruit and herbs. It is also known as Egyptian Market because the money used for the majority of its construction came from taxes levied by the Ottoman government on Egyptian-made products.

The Ottoman and Islamic art present here makes this building the favorite destination for tourists. Textile experts consider the carpet collection here as the best in the world. Besides Turkish, Caucasus and Iran carpets, tourists can see amazing calligraphy and wood carvings dating from 9th Century to 19th Century.

A medieval stone tower, also called Christea Turris (in Latin: Tower of Christ) by Genoese, is a striking landmark which includes a restaurant and café on the upper floors providing tourists the panoramic view of the city and Bosphorus.

Like the English folks enjoying tea and Indians enjoying local sweets, Turkish people offer everyone both dark Turkish tea and lokum called Turkish delight.