Air

Most planes arrive at Istanbul Ataturk Airport, 20km west of the city centre. Another airport, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport is located in the Anatolian side of the city. Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Turkish, Oman Air etc. operate flights from India to Istanbul with stop overs.

Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque is a triumph of harmony, proportion and elegance. Its exterior elicits the sort of eye-boggling, weak-kneed admiration which Aya Sofya's interior induces. Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmet Camii is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world.
It was the supreme Imperial Mosque of the Ottoman Empire. The famous blue and green Iznik tiles on the walls are bathed in glorious light that is filtered through 260 windows. In summer evenings there are light and sound shows in the grounds.

Aya Sofya

It is the Church of the Divine Wisdom, the greatest church in Christianity. The interior's immense dome is still impressive. When Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Sultan, Mehmet II in 1453, it was converted into a mosque. Since 1936, by Ataturk's order it has been a museum. Aya Sofya was designed as a celebration of an entire culture and its achievements.

Topkapi Palace

The Topkapi Palace was built in the late 15th century, which was for over 350 years home to the Ottoman Sultans and the centre of an Empire. Arranged around three courtyards the palace rooms now house displays ranging from the fifth largest diamond in the world through the furniture and finery of the Sultan's private rooms to the former utensils of the palace kitchens. Of particular interest is the Harem, which comprises 400 rooms and was home to the Sultan's many wives.

Archaeological Museum

The range of exhibits includes artifacts from the great Empires that held sway in the region over the centuries, most notably the Romans and Persians. Among the items on display is a fabulous collection of jewellery found at Troy and a huge collection of Sarcophagi including one reputed to have held the bones of Alexander the Great.

Yerebatan Sarayi

This 6th-century Byzantine underground water cistern was constructed using hundreds of Greek and Roman columns to support the 20m high brick vaulted ceiling, which could hold 80,000 cubic feet of water in case of drought or siege. It measures 140m by 70m. Once inside you are free to wander the raised walkways through the forest of columns. Subtle lighting and piped classical music complete the atmospherics and give the ancient feat of engineering a suitably mystical ambience.

Grand Bazaar

This vibrant and eclectic mixture of stalls and shops sells just about everything and anything. It is one of the world's oldest shopping malls. It housed four and a half thousand shops and over two thousand workshops - pretty much, what you will see today. It is not just aimed at tourists, you will find plenty of Turks there shopping for various items, including clothing, leather goods, and gold.

Bosphorus Cruise

Bosphorus is the name of the strait, which lies between Europe and Asia. The strait Bosphorus connects the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea and its length is approximately 30 km. As the stretch of water that divides Europe from Asia, it has inspired awe in visitors since time immemorial. Fringed by palaces, fortresses and huge wooden mansions, it is captivatingly beautiful.

Galata Tower

Built in 1348 and originally known as the Tower of Christ, the Galata Tower once formed part of the fortifications of the Genoese trading city of Galata. With the Ottoman conquest in the 15th century, Galata became the westernmost end of the "Silk Road" from China, while Galata Tower itself served as a fire-spotting post. These days the tower affords unparalleled views over the city from its galleries.

Dolmabahçe Palace

Dolmabahçe Palace on the European shore of the Bosphorus in Istanbul is a fitting symbol of the magnificence and decadence of the 19th-century Ottoman Empire. The palace comprises of a main unit, Heir Section, Furniture and Guards' Room, Operational Mansions, Glass Mansion, and other small pavilions. It has 8 spacious saloons and 200 rooms, has two main and seven side gates and five gates on the sea front.

Hippodrome

Sultanahmet Square, or the Hippodrome, was commissioned by Roman Emperor Septimius Severius at the end of 2nd century. In the long, east side of this U-shaped hippodrome, there used to be an emperor lodge in the balcony where there were 4 bronze horses. In the centre, there used to be a shallow wall which divided the sand covered hippodrome field into two, around which cars raced, and over this wall there used to be monuments brought from many parts of the empire and statues of horses.

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest covered markets in the world with 60 streets and 5,000 shops, and attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. It is well known for its jewellery, hand-painted ceramics, carpets, embroideries, spices and antique shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by type of goods, with special areas for leather and gold jewellery.

Egyptian Spice Bazaar

There's an Egyptian Spice Bazaar on Eminonu Square facing the Galata Bridge on the Golden Horn. It is not only famous for its spices, herbs and traditional medicinals, but also for healthy snacks such as nuts, dried fruits, jams, pickles, cheeses and lokum. The narrow bazaar street running west from the market building, is particularly colorful, with lots more shops selling spices, snacks and housewares.

Arasta Bazaar

The Arasta Bazaar is thronged with tourists strolling past its shops selling carpets, colored tiles and pottery, clothing, traditional crafts, hamam goods and lots else. The Great Palace Mosaic Museum is in the midst of the bazaar.

Kasa Lokanta

Bankalar Caddesi No. 5, Karakoy, Istanbul 34420, Turkey
Cuisines: Indian, Mediterranean, European, Turkish, Contemporary

Meat & Meet Kasap Dursun

Cumhuriyet Mh., Silahsor Cd No:27, Sisli, Turkey, Istanbul, Turkey
Cuisines: Steakhouse, Indian, Grill

Dubb Ethnic Restaurant

Amiral Taftil Sok No:25, Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey
Cuisines: Indian, Asian, Turkish