Istanbul for free

One other green retreat on the European side of Istanbul is right next to all the sights in the Sultanahmet area. Just down below the Topkapi Palace lays the Gülhane Park . This park is the oldest one in Istanbul, and translates basically to Rosehouse Park. Gülhane Park Walkway in Gülhane Park Being formerly a the Palace garden, a royal retreat in all aspects, the Gülhane Park is nowadays open for everyone who wants some relaxation and green after visiting the Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque. Nevertheless it is still located inside the outer walls of the Topkapi Palace. Next to the beautiful trees and flowers the park features the first statue of Atatürk erected in Turkey (1926), sculpted by Heinrich Krippel and the Goths Column from Roman times. The Goth Column is the oldest standing relic from the Roman era in Istanbul. If one follows the main walkway, which is lined with giant plane trees on both sides, the reward will be a magnificent view of the Bos...

Yet another sight in Istanbul, but one which is often not overseen but not visited. Assumingly because it is a little bit of the beaten track and located in Kadiköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul. Nevertheless the Haydarpasa Railway Station is for sure one of most grand and important symbols of the city. It is situated next to the wharf in Kadiköy and has a unique architecture, representing German renaissance.  Neoclassical Haydarpasa Railway Station Haydarpasa Railway Station, Kadiköy, Istanbul © Nevit Dilmen The neoclassical Haydarpasa  building, basically a gift to the Sultan  Abdul Hamid II   from German Kaiser Wilhelm II, was built by the Anatolia-Baghdad Corporation, according to plans carried out by the German architects  Otto Ritter von Kühlmann and Hellmuth Cuno,  between 1906 and 1908. Its foundation is 1100 wooden piles, each 21 meters long, driven into the mushy shore by steam hammer. It outer appearance resembles to a certain d...