ISTANBUL TURKEY: TOP 21 UNMISSABLE Things To Do (MUST Watch Before Visiting!!!)

Istanbul Turkey: Top 21 Unmissable Things to do (Must watch before visiting!!!)

In this video, I share with you the top 21 things to do when in Istanbul Turkey. This is as close one can get to a full travel guide when in Istanbul, Turkey for at least one week.

Istanbul is a city that has so much to offer and if it is visited properly, it is unforgettable.

I begin this video by sharing my visit to Taksim Square and Istiklal Street. The first time I walked on Istiklal Street was quite memorable for me as I was impressed by how much there is to see in terms of shops, particularly food places.

After walking this street, the Galata Tower will appear and it is an absolute must-see if you are in Istanbul because of the fact that it is among the first landmarks you'll see when watching any video or viewing any photos of Istanbul. It is 1,000 years old and the views from above are spectacular.

Another great place I found was Balat. This is a special neighborhood where you can see colorful houses. It's just a nice spectacle and the area is surrounded by trendy cafes and restaurants.

When in Balat, I highly recommend you go and visit the tomb of the legendary Yavuz Sultan Selim's (Selim I) tomb and mosque. Sultan Selim I was the 9th Sultan (King) of the Glorious Ottoman Empire and the First among the Ottoman Sultans who became the Caliph of the entire Muslim world in the early part of the 16th Century. His Mosque is exquisitely designed and the views from up there are wonderful as the entire complex is built upon a hill.

Now if you are in Istanbul for only 3 days, it may be a good idea to stay in Fatih District because you can easily access the Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, Sultan Ahmet/Blue Mosque, Topkapi Museum and the Byzantine Hippodrome as these are all within walking distance.

I highly recommend spending time at the Topkapi Palace Museum as it was used by the earlier Sultans of the Ottoman Empire when they moved to Istanbul after the Conquest of Constantinople in 1453. You can visit this palace and see incredible exhibits, rooms, and structures. The Topkapi Harem requires an additional ticket but it's well worth buying

Another good palace to visit is the Dolmabahce Palace, which was built around 400 years after Topkapi Palace and is another incredible palace as well as a museum to view.

Eyup Sultan's tomb and Cami is a must-see place because the tomb is occupied by the blessed companion of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Sayyidina Ayub al Ansari رضي الله عنه

The mosque of Eyup Sultan رضي الله عنه is immensely impressive and you can easily use the cable cars near to the tomb to get up to Pierre Loti Hill to get great views from above.

Rumeli Fortress is also an interesting place to visit because it was built a year before the Ottomans took Constantinople in 1453 and this fortress played a key role in achieving victory.

The Aya Sofia is also in the Fatih District and it's one of the greatest houses of worship and mosque you'll ever visit. This house of worship was first built by Prophet Suleiman/Soloman عليه السلام

I highly recommend everyone to visit the blessed tombs and mosques of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Mehmed the Conqueror) as these are very significant kings among the 36 Sultans from the Ottomans.

Also, to learn more about the Ottomans, do take a look at this channel: @RoyalOttomanSociety

I also share a couple of cafes and a restaurant in this video as Turkish food is renowned around the world.

Timestamps:
Introduction: 0:00
Taksim Square & Istiklal Street: 1:40
Galata Tower: 7:13
Shehzade Cag Kebab: 13:51
Balat: 17:09
Yavuz Sultan Selim Tomb & Cami: 18:48
Basilica Cistern: 21:59
Grand Bazaar: 24:33
Hippodrome: 24:58
Camlica Mosque: 26:28
Dolmabahce Palace: 38:39
Rumeli Fortres: 42:43
Kadim Kahve: 45:36
Navel Museum: 49:15
Eyup Sultan Tomb & Cami: 51:06
Cable Car & Pierre Loti Hill: 53:40
Ortakoy: 56:42
Sultan Suleyman Tomb & Cami: 57:02
Sultan Ahmet Cami (Blue Mosque): 01:02:31
Topkapi Palace Museum: 01:06:02
Aya Sofya: 01:17:15
Fatih Sultan Mehmet (the Conquerer) Tomb & Cami: 01:19:47
Bonus Place: 01:22:08

To learn more about the return of the Ottomans:

Another great place to visit in Turkey is Antalya, therefore you can view Top 10 things to do when in Antalya by clicking here:

[elifcan]

Çok teşekkürler İstanbul'umuzu tanıtan harika bir video olmuş♥

[muhamadaqqat]

Thank you for the video.InsyaAllah i will go during summer

[sadikrahman]

An absolute gem of a video! the rich hsitory of this city is amazing. I cant wait to go back to Istanbul again.

[Luckycharm]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Thnx for sharing insha Allah will visit soon as I can see beautiful places masha Allah ❤ Don uncle i really salute uh from the bottom of my heart ❤ I will surely visit the palace ❤

[adnanayub]

Loved this. Just when you think you’ve seen so much of the amazing city that is Istanbul; you present this amazing video and I now want to go back. Fantastic video Alhumdullilah. Also the reason behind why you selected 21 ❤

[dejo]

Hey Imran,
Me and my girl followed your advice and had an osmanli kahve in kadim kahve. We expected a classic turkish black coffee, but got some kind of turkish coffee with milk. It was fine, but in our opinion, it's better to order a classsic turkish black coffee, double!
The interior is fantastic and the atmosphere was meditative and chill. Thank you Imran for yoir reccommendations, we are big fans of your work!

[saadshakir]

Are there any hotels you'd recommend on the Asian side ?