Must-see in Istanbul: a first-timer's guide

A brief history Founded as Greek Byzantium, refounded by Constantine in AD 330 as the capital of the Roman east, and taken by Mehmed II in 1453, this city has been the seat of two empires for sixteen centuries. Its churches became mosques, its bazaars linked Europe and Asia, and the sultans ruled from Topkapi and then Dolmabahce. After the republic moved the capital to Ankara in 1923 it remained Turkey's cultural and commercial heart, now home to some 16 million people on two continents. 10 must-see attractions 1. Hagia Sophia — Justinian's 6th-century domed masterpiece, church then mosque then museum then mosque. 2. Blue Mosque — the six-minaret imperial mosque lined with Iznik tiles. 3. Topkapi Palace — Ottoman court, harem quarters and the treasury, above the Bosphorus. 4. Grand Bazaar — 4,000 shops of carpets, gold and lamps in a covered medieval maze. 5. Spice Bazaar — pistachios, saffron and Turkish delight beside the Golden Horn. 6. Basilica Cistern — a candlelit underground reservoir of 336 columns and Medusa heads. 7. Bosphorus ferry — the cheapest great cruise in Europe, from the old city to the Black Sea mouth. 8. Suleymaniye Mosque — Sinan's serene hilltop masterwork, with terrace views. 9. Galata Tower and Beyoglu — a medieval Genoese tower above the city's liveliest modern district. 10. Chora Church (Kariye) — the finest surviving Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. Tip: get an Istanbulkart; it works on ferries, trams, buses and the metro.