Hagia Sophia was built as a cathedral by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I and completed in 537. Its huge dome, about 31 metres across, seems to float above a ring of windows and was an engineering wonder for nearly a thousand years. After the Ottoman conquest in 1453 it became a mosque, then a museum in 1934, and a mosque again in 2020. Byzantine mosaics and Islamic calligraphy share its interior.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque, was built between 1609 and 1616 for Sultan Ahmed I. It faces Hagia Sophia across Sultanahmet Square. It is the only mosque in Istanbul with six minarets, and its cascade of domes rises over a large courtyard. Inside, more than 20,000 handmade Iznik tiles in blue and green patterns give the mosque its nickname.

The Hippodrome of Constantinople was the chariot racing stadium and centre of public life in Byzantine times. Its outline is now Sultanahmet Square. Three monuments remain along its spine: the Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius, carved around 1450 BC, the bronze Serpent Column from ancient Delphi, and the Walled Obelisk. The German Fountain stands at one end.

The Basilica Cistern is a huge underground water reservoir built in the 6th century under Emperor Justinian I. Its roof is held up by 336 marble columns arranged in rows, many taken from older buildings. Walkways cross the shallow water in dim light. Two columns at the back stand on carved Medusa heads, one sideways and one upside down. It was restored and reopened in 2022.

Topkapı Palace was the main residence of the Ottoman sultans for about 400 years, from the 1460s to the 1850s. It stands on a point above the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Its courtyards lead to the Imperial Council hall, kitchens, the harem and pavilions with fine tiles. The treasury displays the Topkapı Dagger and the Spoonmaker's Diamond, and holy relics are kept in another chamber.

The Süleymaniye Mosque crowns the third hill of Istanbul above the Golden Horn. It was built between 1550 and 1557 by the great architect Mimar Sinan for Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. Its large dome and four minarets dominate the skyline. The complex included schools, a hospital and a soup kitchen. Süleyman and Sinan are both buried in tombs nearby.

The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. Its core was built after 1455, soon after the Ottoman conquest, and it grew into a maze of more than 60 streets and about 4,000 shops. Under painted vaults, traders sell carpets, jewellery, ceramics, lamps, leather and spices. Old caravanserais called hans surround the main halls.

The Spice Bazaar, also called the Egyptian Bazaar, was built in the 1660s as part of the New Mosque complex near the Galata Bridge. Its rent helped pay for the mosque. Its L-shaped covered hall is lined with stalls piled with spices, dried fruits, nuts, Turkish delight, teas and soaps. Fresh food shops and cafes fill the streets around it.

The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn, linking the old city at Eminönü with Karaköy. Bridges have stood here since the 19th century; the present one opened in 1994. Fishermen line its upper deck day and night, dropping lines into the water, while fish restaurants fill the lower level. The bridge gives fine views of the mosques and the Galata Tower.

The Galata Tower is a medieval stone tower in the Beyoğlu district, built by the Genoese in 1348 as part of their walled colony. It is about 67 metres tall. Over the centuries it served as a fire watch tower and a prison. Its viewing gallery gives one of the best panoramas of Istanbul, across the Golden Horn to the old city and the Bosphorus.

İstiklal Avenue is a pedestrian street about 1.4 kilometres long in the Beyoğlu district, running from Taksim Square to Tünel. Lined with 19th-century buildings, it holds shops, cafes, churches, consulates and passages such as Çiçek Pasajı. A red nostalgic tram runs along its length. Millions of people walk it on busy weekends.

Dolmabahçe Palace stands on the European shore of the Bosphorus. Built between 1843 and 1856 for Sultan Abdülmecid I, it replaced Topkapı as the main residence of the Ottoman sultans. Its style mixes Baroque, Rococo and Ottoman elements, with lavish use of gold and crystal. Its great ceremonial hall has a huge chandelier. Atatürk died in the palace in 1938.

The Ortaköy Mosque stands right on the water's edge of the Bosphorus, at the foot of the Bosphorus Bridge. It was built in 1856 in Neo-Baroque style for Sultan Abdülmecid I. Its tall windows fill the interior with light. The square around it is full of cafes and stalls selling baked potatoes and waffles, and it is a favourite place to photograph the bridge.

The Maiden's Tower stands on a tiny island at the entrance to the Bosphorus, off Üsküdar. A tower has stood here since ancient times; the present building dates mostly from the 18th century. Legends tell of a princess placed here to escape a prophecy. It has served as a lighthouse and customs station. Restored in 2023, it is now a museum reached by boat.

The Göreme Open Air Museum is a group of rock-cut churches, chapels and monastery rooms carved into the soft volcanic rock of Cappadocia between the 10th and 12th centuries. Many walls and ceilings are covered with Byzantine frescoes of Christ, the saints and Bible stories. The Dark Church, which received little light, has the best preserved colours. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Göreme is a village in the heart of Cappadocia, surrounded by valleys of fairy chimneys, tall cones of soft volcanic rock topped with harder stone. Many old cave houses have been turned into hotels. At sunrise, dozens of hot air balloons rise over the valleys, one of the most famous sights in Türkiye. The area is part of Göreme National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Uçhisar Castle is a huge rock outcrop riddled with rooms and tunnels, rising above the village of Uçhisar. It is the highest point in the Göreme area. People carved homes, storerooms and pigeon houses into it over centuries, and it served as a refuge in times of danger. Steps lead to the summit, which gives a panoramic view over the valleys of Cappadocia.

Paşabağ, also called Monks Valley, lies near the village of Çavuşin in Cappadocia. It has some of the most striking fairy chimneys in the region, with several rock caps on a single stem, like mushrooms. Early Christian hermits carved cells into them; one is linked with Saint Simeon. Paths wind among the chimneys, and stalls sell local crafts.

Devrent Valley, also known as Imagination Valley, lies between Ürgüp and Avanos in Cappadocia. It has no churches or houses, but its smooth pink rock formations have been shaped by erosion into forms that look like animals and figures. The most famous resembles a camel. Visitors walk among the rocks trying to recognise shapes.

The Three Beauties are a group of three fairy chimneys on a hilltop near Ürgüp in Cappadocia. The tall rock pillars with dark caps are said to represent a family of mother, father and child, and are linked with a local love legend. They are one of the most photographed sights in Cappadocia, especially at sunset with the valley behind them.

Derinkuyu is the deepest underground city in Cappadocia, reaching about 60 metres below the ground over many levels. It was carved from the soft rock over centuries, possibly from the Phrygian era, and greatly enlarged in Byzantine times. Thousands of people with their animals could shelter here from raids. It has stables, chapels, wells and huge rolling stone doors.

The Ihlara Valley is a canyon about 14 kilometres long and up to 100 metres deep, cut by the Melendiz River in southwest Cappadocia. Its walls hold dozens of rock-cut churches with Byzantine frescoes. A footpath follows the green riverbanks under tall cliffs, with trees and small tea houses. Steps lead down from the village of Ihlara.

Selime Monastery is a large rock-cut complex at the northern end of the Ihlara Valley. It was carved into the cliff in the 8th and 9th centuries and has a cathedral-sized church, kitchens, stables and living rooms over several levels. It is one of the largest religious buildings in Cappadocia. The cliff and fairy chimneys around it are striking.

Pamukkale, meaning cotton castle, is a hillside of white travertine terraces in Denizli province. Hot springs rich in calcium have flowed down the slope for thousands of years, leaving layers of white rock and shallow pools of blue water. Visitors walk barefoot up the terraces. With the ancient city of Hierapolis above it, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.

Hierapolis was an ancient Greek and Roman spa city on top of the Pamukkale terraces, founded in the 2nd century BC. Its ruins include a large theatre, a long necropolis with hundreds of tombs, gates, baths and the Martyrium of Saint Philip. The Antique Pool lets visitors swim in warm spring water among fallen marble columns.

Ephesus was one of the greatest cities of the ancient Greek and Roman world, near the modern town of Selçuk. Its marble streets lead past temples, fountains, terrace houses with mosaics and the Great Theatre, which held about 25,000 people. It was an important early Christian centre visited by Saint Paul. Ephesus has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015.

The Library of Celsus in Ephesus was built around 117 AD by a Roman consul in memory of his father, Celsus, governor of Asia, who is buried beneath it. It held thousands of scrolls. Its two-storey front with columns and statues of Wisdom, Knowledge, Intelligence and Virtue was rebuilt in the 1970s and is the most famous building in Ephesus.

The House of the Virgin Mary is a small stone chapel on Mount Koressos, near Ephesus. According to a tradition, Mary spent her last years here after being brought by Saint John. The site was identified in the 19th century from the visions of a German nun. It is a place of pilgrimage for Christians and Muslims, and several popes have visited.

The Basilica of St. John stands on Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk. It was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century over the grave believed to be that of Saint John the Apostle. It was once one of the largest churches in the world. Its ruins include rows of columns, the baptistery and the tomb. Selçuk castle stands above it.

The Temple of Artemis near Selçuk was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The great marble temple, larger than the Parthenon, was rebuilt several times, the last version in the 4th century BC. It was destroyed by the Goths in 262 AD. Today a single rebuilt column stands in a marshy field, often with a stork's nest on top.

Şirince is a hillside village in the mountains above Selçuk, near Ephesus. It was once a Greek village, and its old stone and whitewashed houses with tiled roofs remain. It is known for its fruit wines, olive oil and handmade soaps. Narrow lanes lead past shops and a restored church to cafes with views over the valley.

The Izmir Clock Tower stands in Konak Square, the centre of Izmir. It was built in 1901 to mark 25 years of Sultan Abdülhamid II's reign, and its clock was a gift from the German emperor Wilhelm II. The ornate tower is about 25 metres tall and has four fountains at its base. The small Konak Mosque, covered in tiles, stands nearby.

Kemeraltı is the old market district of Izmir, a maze of lanes behind Konak Square. It dates back to the 17th century. Its streets are filled with shops selling clothes, copper, spices, sweets and household goods, along with mosques, synagogues and hans. The Kızlarağası Han, built in 1744, has been restored as a bazaar with cafes in its courtyard.

Pergamon was the capital of the Attalid kingdom in the Hellenistic period, near modern Bergama. Its acropolis stands on a steep hill and holds the ruins of the Temple of Trajan, a famous library and one of the steepest theatres of the ancient world. The Pergamon Altar from here is now in Berlin. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014.

The Asclepieion of Pergamon was a famous healing centre dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine. Patients came to be treated with baths, sleep, mud, herbs and dream interpretation. The great physician Galen worked here in the 2nd century AD. The ruins include a colonnaded sacred road, a theatre, sacred springs and an underground tunnel.