Sultanahmet, Istanbul

Sultanahmet occupies the tip of the historic peninsula, the site of ancient Byzantion. When Constantine the Great made the city his capital in 330, this area became the ceremonial centre of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Great Palace of the emperors spread down the slope towards the Sea of Marmara, and the Hippodrome, begun under Septimius Severus and enlarged by Constantine, held chariot races, public celebrations and, at times, riots such as the Nika revolt of 532.

After that revolt Emperor Justinian rebuilt the neighbourhood on a grand scale. Hagia Sophia, consecrated in 537, became the largest church in Christendom for almost a thousand years, while the vast Basilica Cistern was constructed nearby to store water for the palace district. The Hippodrome was decorated with monuments brought from across the empire, including the Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius, raised in 390, and the bronze Serpent Column from Delphi.

Following the Ottoman conquest in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque and built Topkapı Palace on the first hill, which served as the seat of the sultans for nearly four centuries. Grand vizier İbrahim Pasha’s palace rose on the edge of the Hippodrome, and between 1609 and 1617 Sultan Ahmed I commissioned the mosque that gave the district its name – the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known worldwide as the Blue Mosque for the İznik tiles of its interior.

In the modern era the area evolved into Istanbul’s main visitor quarter. Topkapı Palace opened as a museum in 1924, Hagia Sophia served as a museum from 1934 until it was reopened as a mosque in 2020, and the German Fountain, a gift of Kaiser Wilhelm II, was inaugurated in the old Hippodrome in 1901. In 1985 the historic areas of Istanbul, with Sultanahmet at their centre, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today the square links the city’s Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman layers in one open-air setting.

Start early at Hagia Sophia, then cross the gardens to the Blue Mosque, timing your visit between prayer times. Walk along the former Hippodrome to see the obelisks, the Serpent Column and the octagonal German Fountain, and step into the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum in İbrahim Pasha’s palace for its carpet collection.

Descend into the atmospheric Basilica Cistern with its forest of columns and Medusa heads, then allow at least half a day for Topkapı Palace, its courtyards, treasury and Harem. The Archaeological Museums sit just below the palace walls, on the edge of Gülhane Park, a shady place to rest.

For shopping, browse the Arasta Bazaar behind the Blue Mosque for carpets, ceramics and textiles, and look into the Great Palace Mosaic Museum beside it. The streets around Divanyolu and the Cankurtaran slope are full of cafés, kebab houses and rooftop terraces with views of the Sea of Marmara.

A good walking route: Hagia Sophia – Basilica Cistern – Hippodrome – Blue Mosque – Arasta Bazaar – Gülhane Park – Topkapı Palace. Mornings are quietest; at sunset the square between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque is at its most beautiful, and on summer evenings the illuminated domes make a memorable photo stop.

Getting there: the T1 Kabataş–Bağcılar tram stops at Sultanahmet; Gülhane stop is closest to Topkapı Palace. From Sirkeci (Marmaray) it is a 10-minute walk uphill.

Dress code: at Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, cover shoulders and knees; women should bring a headscarf. Shoes are removed inside.

Timing: mosques close to visitors during prayers, especially Friday noon. Arrive at opening time to avoid the longest queues, and check closing days of the museums before you go.

Safety: the area is busy and well policed; watch your belongings in crowds and politely ignore unsolicited “guides” and carpet-shop invitations.