A Tour Of Istanbuls Architectural Landmarks

Istanbul is a city rife with architectural landmarks, most notably its most popular sights in Sultanahmet, the heart of the city’s touristic traffic. However, the city’s other neighborhoods are also strewn with the remnants of past empires as well as the many different cultures and religions that made Istanbul a multi-ethnic city. The Balat and Fener neighborhoods have been receiving a lot of attention lately not only because of the colorful and ornate houses belonging to the bourgeoisie Greek Orthodox families that used to reside here, but also because of the hidden churches, mosques, and hamams. Let’s take an architectural tour of Fener and Balat…

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople

Since 1600, this historic structure has been the official seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (or the spiritual leader of the 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide). The structure’s main church, the Church of St. George, dates back to the mid 19th century and has a neo-classical influence, making it distinct from the Orthodox churches in the Byzantine style.

Phanar Greek Orthodox College

Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque

This imperial mosque is located right on Istanbul’s fifth hill overlooking a beautiful view of the city from the Golden Horn onward. Dedicated to the memory of Selim I, his son Suleiman the Magnificent commissioned the religious edifice in the 16th century to the architect Alaüddin (Acem Alisi). The large courtyard has a colonnaded portico with columns composed of marble and granite, while the mosque itself is decorated with early examples of the famous handmade İznik tiles.

Bulgarian St. Stephen Church

This Bulgarian Orthodox Church is famous for being one of the world’s few surviving churches composed of prefabricated cast iron elements. Richly ornamented with a three domed and cross-shaped basilica, the church was first made of wood in 1849. When the original structure was damaged in a large fire, it was rebuilt with an iron frame planned by Hovsep Aznavur, an Armenian from Istanbul. When a competition was held to produce the church’s prefabricated parts, the Austrian company, R. Ph. Waagner won and the parts, weighing around 500 tons, were produced in Vienna between 1893 and 1896 and transported to Istanbul. By 1898, the church was completed and continues to exude its Neo-Gothic and Neo-Baroque style.

Küçük Mustafa Paşa Hamamı

One of Istanbul’s oldest hamams, the Küçük Mustafa Paşa Hamamı was built in 1477 on the orders of chief cleric Molla Hüsrev during the reign of Fatih Sultan Mehmet. Covering an area of 1,900 square meters, the historic structure features early hamam architecture such as pointed arches with muqarnas (ornamented vaulting in a geometric shape), domes with holes for both sunlight and ventilation, and tassellation flooring. In the 1900s the hamam ceased being used as a bathhouse and has been restored to become a center for exhibitions and events.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.