11 Best Sights in The Bazaar Quarter and Environs, Istanbul

Take a deep breath, and plunge into this maze of 65 winding, covered streets crammed with 4,000 tiny shops, cafés, restaurants, mosques, and courtyards. Originally built by Mehmet II (the Conqueror) in 1461 over the main Byzantine shopping streets, the Grand Bazaar was rebuilt after fires in both 1943 and 1954. It's said that this early version of a shopping mall contains the largest concentration of stores under one roof anywhere in the world, and that's easy to believe.

Some of the most aggressive salesmanship in the world takes place here, so take yet another deep breath, and put up your guard while exploring. Oddly enough, though, the sales pitches, the crowds, and the sheer volume of junky trinkets on offer can be hypnotizing. Enjoy a glass of tea while you browse through leather goods, carpets, fabric, clothing, furniture, ceramics, and gold and silver jewelry. Remember, whether you're bargaining for a pair of shoes or an antique carpet, the best prices are offered when the would-be seller thinks you are about to slip away.

On a hilltop opposite Istanbul University is one of the city's most magnificent mosques, considered one of the architect Sinan's masterpieces. The architectural thrill of the mosque, which was built between 1550 and 1557 and fully restored in 2010, is the enormous dome, the highest of any Ottoman mosque. Supported by four square columns and arches, as well as exterior walls with smaller domes on either side, the soaring space gives the impression that it's held up principally by divine intervention. Except for around the mihrab (prayer niche), there is little in the way of tile work—though the intricate stained-glass windows and baroque decorations painted on the domes more than make up for that. The tomb of Sinan is just outside the walls, on the northern corner, while those of his patron, Süleyman the Magnificent, and the sultan's wife, Roxelana, are in the adjacent cemetery. Stroll around the beautiful grounds, and don't miss the wonderful views of the Golden Horn.

Inspired by Aya Sofya and completed in 1506, this domed mosque holds the distinction of being the oldest of the Ottoman imperial mosques still standing in the city. Though the inside is somewhat dark, it has an impressively carved mihrab and the large courtyard has 20 columns made of verd antique, red granite, and porphyry that were taken from ancient buildings.

This column stood at the center of what was a large circular marketplace or forum where Constantine formally rededicated the city on May 11, 330 AD. Carved out of blocks of a reddish-purple stone called porphyry that was especially prized by the ancient Romans, the column is 115 feet high and was once topped by a golden statue of Apollo, to which Constantine added his own head. Constantine was said to have placed various relics under the column, including an ax used by Noah to make the ark, a piece of the True Cross, and some of the leftover bread from the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

The transportation hub of Old Istanbul, Eminönü teems with activity. There are docks for traditional ferryboats (including those making both short and daylong Bosphorus cruises) and faster "sea bus" catamarans that cross the Bosphorus, as well as the Eminönü tram stop, the Sirkeci train station, and the departure area for buses headed to Istanbul's western districts. Thousands of people and vehicles rush through this frenetic neighborhood by the hour, and the many street traders here sell everything from trinkets to designer knockoffs. From Eminönü, you can cross the Galata Bridge on foot or via the tramway to Karaköy, the gateway to the "new town."

This complex consisting of a mosque, religious schools, and other buildings of a pious nature was the largest in the Ottoman empire, and is still one of the most culturally important mosques in the city. Today it remains the heart of Fatih, one of Istanbul's most religiously conservative neighborhoods. The original mosque, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1766, was built from 1463 to 1470 by Mehmet the Conqueror on the site of the demolished Church of the Twelve Apostles, the burial church of Byzantine emperors from Constantine on. The 18th-century replacement, which has been completely restored, is quite attractive—particularly the extensive stained-glass windows—though probably very little of what you're seeing is original. Behind the mosque is the reconstructed, baroque-style tomb of the Conqueror himself, along with the far plainer tomb of his wife Gülbahar. It's best to avoid visiting the mosque at prayer times.

The main campus of Turkey's oldest institution of higher learning originally served as the Ottoman war ministry—hence the magnificent gateway arch facing Beyazıt Square and the grandiose, martial style of the main buildings, which surround a long greensward filled with giant plane trees. The 279-foot, stone Beyazıt Tower, built in 1828 by Mahmud II as a fire-watch station, is the tallest structure in the Old City and is still one of its most recognizable landmarks. At night, it is lit with LED lights in different colors indicating weather conditions. Though it can no longer be climbed, it's worth seeing up close. Because of its history as a nexus of political activism over the past several decades, the campus is not very publicly accessible. Proceed along the main drive and past the rectorate building to the garden behind it, from which there is a stunning view overlooking the Süleymaniye Camii.

The medium-sized Şehzade Camii was built for Süleyman the Magnificent's eldest son, Prince Mehmet, who died of smallpox in 1543 at age 22. This was the great Ottoman architect Sinan's first imperial mosque, and he called it his "apprentice work." The result is quite attractive, although less spectacular than the nearby Süleymaniye. The tranquil gardens contain several imperial tombs—including that of Prince Mehmet, decorated with some of the best İznik tiles in Istanbul.

The enticing Spice Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, is much smaller than the Grand Bazaar but more colorful—though not as colorful, perhaps, as it was in the 17th century, when it was built to generate rental income to pay for the upkeep of the Yeni Cami (New Mosque) next door. In those earlier days, the bazaar was a vast pharmacy filled with burlap bags overflowing with herbs and spices fresh off the ships from Egypt and the Spice Islands. Today, although an increasing number of souvenir shops have opened up in the bazaar, you can still wander past numerous stalls chockablock with sacks of spices (including highly sought-after Iranian saffron); bags full of dried fruit and nuts; and delicacies including lokum (Turkish delight), caviar, and Turkish coffee and tea. The maze of narrow streets around the back of the bazaar is filled with open-air booths and shops selling similar foodstuffs—as well as everything from household items to medicinal leeches—at generally cheaper prices.

A Roman city needed its aqueduct, and Constantinople, which seriously lacked drinking water, finally got one in 375 under Emperor Valens. The aqueduct, which was just one element of a well-engineered water distribution system that extended for miles, was restored in the 16th century by the Ottoman architect Sinan and continued to function well into the Ottoman era. The best and most dramatic surviving section is that near Şehzade Mosque, where Atatürk Bulvarı, a major urban thoroughfare, passes through the great arches of the aqueduct—still one of Istanbul's most significant landmarks.

A dominant feature of the Istanbul skyline, thanks to its prime spot on the Eminönü waterfront, the "new mosque" is known as much for its history as its architecture. Its location, rising out of the Golden Horn, presented formidable engineering challenges to the former apprentice to Sinan, who laid the waterlogged foundations in 1597. Due to sultans' deaths and complicated harem politics, the project wasn’t completed until 1663 by the queen mother at the time, Turhan Hatice. The entrance to the courtyard from the main square offers a marvelous view of the small domes and semidomes that appear to cascade down around the main dome, flanked by two minarets. Inside, almost every square inch of the interior is decorated—from the elaborate, multicolored İznik tiles to the intricately painted domes and gilded minbar—while numerous windows, including in the wall of the mihrab, fill the mosque with light. Note that during the restoration work that was underway at this writing, the mosque wasn't open to the public.