Archeological Museum
The building was constructed by the architect Vallaury through the efforts of the first scientific museum organizer of Turkey, Osman Hamdi Bey, and was opened to public in 1891. The museum displays objects from Byzantium, the Ottoman Empire and the many civilizations of Anatolia and nearby regions including ancient Egypt.
Closed Monday. Osman Hamdi Bey Yokusu, 34400 Gülhane. Tel: (0212) 520 7740 / 520 7741

Asiyan Museum
This museum is the former residence of famous Turkish poet Tevfik Fikret (1867-1915) who constructed the building himself. In addition to an exhibit of the personal belongings of Tevfik, there is a room devoted to the poet Nigar Hanim and some of the belongings of Abdülhak Hamit.
Closed Monday and Thursday.
Asiyan Yokusu, 80810 Bebek. Tel: (0212) 263 6986

Atatürk Museum
The museum, opened to the public in 1981, is located in Atatürk's Istanbul residence on Halaskargazi Caddesi in Sisli. On display are photographs of Atatürk from his birth until his death, as well as some of his clothes, personal belongings and paintings.
Closed Sunday and Thursday.
Halaskargazi Caddesi No. 250, 80260 Sisli Tel: (0212) 240 6319

City Museum
The museum was first located in the Bayezit Municipal Library in the year 1939 until it was moved to the Fine Arts building of the Yildiz Palace complex in 1988. On display are paintings depicting the social life of the Ottoman period in Istanbul, calligraphy, textiles, 18th and 19th century porcelains made in the imperial workshops of Yildiz Palace, various glass objects, calligraphy equipment and other objects of daily life.
Closed Thursday.
Barbaros Bulvari, 80690 Besiktas
Tel: (0212) 258 5344

Divan Literature Museum
The first dervish lodge in the city was built in 1492 and belongs to the Mevlevi order. The present wooden structure on the site dates from the late 18th century. It is situated in a large garden that includes a cemetery. Historical objects and literature of the order are displayed.
Closed Monday.
Galipdede Caddesi No. 15, 30850 Tünel
Tel: (0212) 245 4141 / 243 5045

Hagia Irini (Church of St. Irene)
One of the earliest churches of Constantinople, St. Irene served as the church of the Patriarchate before Hagia Sophia was built. The church took its contemporary shape at the beginning of the 4th century under Constantine. It is the only example of a Byzantine church in the city with its original atrium. The building stands in the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace and was used as an armory by the Janissaries after the conquest of Istanbul. Today it serves mainly as a concert hall because of its excellent acoustics and impressive atmosphere.
Closed Tuesday.
Topkapi Palace, 34400 Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 522 0989 / 522 1750

Hagia Sophia
The story is told that one day during mass, Byzantine Emperor Justinian dropped the holy bread from his hands and before he could grasp it, a bee picked up the bread and flew away. Justinian sent the message to all bee-keepers in the empire to look for the bread in their hives.
After a couple of days, a bee-keeper arrived with a very peculiar looking hive. Justinian decided then and there that a magnificent church to be built would have this hive as its ground plan. Antemius of Trall and Isidor of Miletus were designated as the architects.Hagia Sophia gradually rose up in all its glory.
 It covers a surface of 7,570 square meters. Its dome is 55.6 meters high and 32 meters wide. The weight of the dome is carried by 107 columns. Hagia Sophia was used by Christians for over 900 years.
After the conquest of Istanbul by the Turks in 1453, it was immediately adapted for use as a mosque and at various times after that the four minarets were added. It remained a mosque until 1935 when it was declared a museum.
Closed Monday.
Sultanahmet Meydani, 34400
Tel:  (0212) 522 0989 / 522 1750

Kariye Museum
This museum was built as the Church of St. Savior in Chora by Byzantine Emperor Justinian. It took its contemporary shape in the 11th century. Logotet Theodoros Metochites produced the frescoes and mosaics, which today constitute one of the world's most important examples of early Byzantine pictorial art. The mosaics tell the story of the New Testament from the birth of the Virgin Mary to a magnificent scene showing the Resurrection of Christ. The building was turned into a mosque during the reign of Bayezit II. The surrounding neighborhood has many old Ottoman wooden houses.
Closed Tuesday.
32240 Edirnekapi
Tel: 0212) 512 5474

Oriental Museum
Located near the Archaeological Museum, this museum includes curious objects from the Pre-Islamic Arab world as well as the Assyrian, Babylonian and Egyptian civilizations.
Closed every afternoon and on Monday.
Osman Hamdi Bey Yokusu, Gülhane
Tel: (0212) 520 7740

Sadberk Hanim Museum
Founded by the Vehbi Koc Foundation in 1980 in the historical Azaryan residence in Büyükdere, this is the first private museum in Turkey. The collection contains objects ranging from the first civilizations in Anatolia beginning in 6000 B.C. to the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods.
Closed Wednesday
 Piyasa Caddesi, No. 25, 80890 Büyükdere
 Tel: (0212) 242 3813 / 242 3814

Tanzimat Museum

19th century documents and objects belonging to the Tanzimat period are displayed in this museum. It was first opened in the Ihlamur Mansion in 1952 and moved to its present location in 1983.
Open every day Gülhane Parki, 34400 Sirkeci Tel: (0212) 512 6384

Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Ibrahim Pasha Palace)
Ibrahim Pasha, who was the first counsellor of Suleyman the Magnificent, married Suleyman's sister as the sultan ascended the throne, thus occupying a very important place in the palace hierarchy. The palace bearing his name was built in the 16th century. After Ibrahim Pasha was strangled on the order of Hürrem Sultan, his properties were confiscated by the government.The palace was later used as a military barracks for new recruits. In the Republican era, after being restored and repaired, it was re-opened as museum for Turkish and Islamic arts.
Closed Monday.
At Meydani No. 46, 34410 Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 518 1805 / 518 180

Vedat Nedim Tör Museum
This museum is located in the Yapi Kredi Bank building in Galatasaray and contains a collection of coins, embroidered textiles, gold covered copper objects, calligraphy, rosaries, Karagöz figures and ethnographic works.
Open to the public during exhibitions around central themes.
Closed Sunday.
Istiklal Caddesi No. 285, 80050 Beyoglu
Tel: (0212) 245 2041 / 252 4700

Yerebatan Cistern (Basilica Cistern)
Cities in ancient and medieval times were always in danger of siege. In a siege, the main problem was inadequate supply of food and water. The Roman and Byzantine emperors built huge cisterns to solve this problem.
The Yerebatan cistern, which was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, was called the basilica cistern because the "trade basilica" stood on the ground above. It can contain up to 80,000 cubic meters of water, covers an area of 140 x 70 meters and is supported by 336 columns. Two of the column heads are adorned with Medusa heads.
Open every day.
Yerebatan Caddesi No. 13, 34410 Sultanahmet
Tel: (0212) 522 1259