Istanbul for free

Istanbul has a lot of interesting things to see and experience. And a lot of them are not openly advertised or well known to the common traveler. One of those are the often overseen tombs of the sultans, even though those are situated between two of the most visited sights in Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace. Right in the heart of the old town Sultanahmet, basically in the backyard of the Hagia Sophia. Tombs of the Sultans - Istanbul - Outside Tombs of the Sultans  Underneath tourist-thronged  Hagia Sophia  is an oasis of calm in the form of five sultans’ tombs. Each is decorated differently and there are wonderful examples of Iznik tiling. Beautiful, and free to enter too. How to get there Well, basically just walk around the Hagia Sophia on the right side if you stand in front of the main entrance. Around the corner left hand, after a mere 50m, is the entry to the tombs. Some Impressions  of the Tombs Tiles and Design - Tombs H...

Only a few people know that there is not only the renowned Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) in Istanbul, but also the Little Hagia Sophia (Küçük Ayasofya Camii) . So unfortunately it is often literally overseen by many tourists, even though it is also located in Sultanahmet, only a few minutes downhill from the Hippodrome. And moreover the oldest surviving Byzantine monument in Istanbul. Little Hagia Sophia (Küçük Ayasofya Camii) - free and beautiful The Little Hagia Sophia, Istanbul Being older as the big Hagia Sophia and supposedly a miniature version of the Hagia Sophia, the attribute little makes perfectly sense. It was built by the same architects during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. But actually it differs in terms of architecture and therefore mainly the name stuck, making it the Little Hagia Sophia over times until today.  Nevertheless it is very beautiful and provides an interesting interior design and architecture. Originally build as a church, being th...

Istanbul Energy Museum by C.Kremenak  CC The Energy Museum Istanbul at Santralistanbul is one of the few free museums in Istanbul. And sadly often overseen by visitors as it is not along the typical tourist routes people take while visiting Istanbul. Nevertheless it is well worth a visit. Especially as not only the entry is free, there is even a free shuttle service . Energy Museum Santralistanbul Originally called Silahtaraga it was a power plant providing Istanbul with energy from 1914 until 1983. Being assigned to the Bilgi University in 2004 it was converted into a campus in 2007 and received its new name "Santralistanbul". Becoming a centre for arts, culture and education and Turkey´s first industrial archeology museum. Santralistanbul by P. Sten CC The museum itself is located in the area where once the turbine-generators and the steam boilers where situated. In the Energy Museum one can see turbine-generators from companies like Siemens and AEG, and the s...

This is the first post about something which is not free, but might save everybody some money. As local markets are by far the best option to buy fruits, vegetables and cheese cheap in Istanbul. Saying that it needs to be stated that the ones which are Organic Markets are relatively expensive in comparison to the normal ones, but they are still cheaper as all the organic supermarkets in Istanbul.  And at least the unique atmosphere of a more or less packed Turkish Market is for free and nevertheless priceless! List of Local Markets in Istanbul To provide a better overview here the markets sorted by days:  Monday Markets Bahcelievler - Next to Türk Böbrek Vakfi  Göztepe - Next to Selamicesme Özgürlük Park, starting at the Selamicesme railroad bridge Tuesday Markets Clothes Street Market in Istanbul Arnavutköy - Close to the Arnavutköy bus stop Bahcesehir - "Pazartürk", located between Bahcesehir and Esenkent Bakirköy - Zuhurat Baba, Karabal Avenue, ne...

Tulip Festival Istanbul April until the beginning of May is tulip season in Istanbul. Since 2006 the city of Istanbul is honoring the tulip with this festival. And it is totally free, no entry fees, no nothing. As the tulips are literally spread all over the city, providing eye candy, there are some spots, namely parks, which are especially worth visiting to enjoy the colorful tulips. These four spots are the highlights of the Tulip Festival , or Lale Festivali in Turkish. Yildiz Grove, Besiktas The Yildiz Grove is actually located between Besiktas and Ortaköy, and therefore an ideal spot to visit on the way to the market or the mosque in Ortaköy - the Büyük Mecidiye Camii. It is one of the biggest green area close to the city and spreads over the hills above Besiktas delivering beautiful views of the Bosphorus, while inhabiting lots of different plants and an overwhelming amount of squirrels. Easiest reachable by bus from Taksim or Besiktas. Gülhane Park, Fatih/Sult...

Emirgan Park Sign One of the biggest and most known parks of Istanbul is the Emirgan Park. The 452.000 square meter park is located on the European side of Istanbul, between the neighborhoods of Rümeli and Istinye. It is one of the big green lungs relatively close to the city centre.  And if ones decides to take a bus from Taksim, Kabatas or Besiktas to the park, it also provides a nice ride along the shore of the Bosphorus, passing Ortaköy with its famous mosque - possible stop! - and the two Bosphorus bridges.  Emirgan Park: Free views and recreation Emirgan provides not only some spectacular views of the Bosphorus but also a lot of caves, ponds, waterfalls, historic trees and water ponds. Altogether with a mirad of walking paths and three restored Ottoman mansions it creates a pretty unique atmosphere. The three mansions are a prime example for the Ottoman architecture of the late years, and are named in regards to their colors, pink, white an...

Even though Istanbul does provide a lot of museums, the majority of them are unfortunately - for the budget traveler - not free, not even cheap. One of the very few exception is the Turkish Bank Museum - Türkiye IS Bankasi Museum or Isbank Museum.  Turkish Bank Museum Istanbul Turkish Bank Museum Istanbul According to the name of the Museum one normally would suspect it is a museum about the Turkish Bank, but that is only half of the museum. Being situated in an old bank building in Eminönü it is a sight by itself. Built 1892 and used as the Isbank main branch from 1926 to 2005 it is a museum since 2007, and hosts changing exhibitions - about three to four throughout the year. Besides an exhibition about the history of Türkiye IS Bankasi itself and about the technical development of banking over time, this years main exhibition is about Canakkale 1915 . The Canakkale 1915 "From the depths to the trenches" exhibition will run until the mid of August and is also in En...

Everybody who is intending to stay longer in the cultural and economic heart of Turkey, Istanbul, may want to learn Turkish. At least at a basic level. May it be just to get better in touch with all the locals and their culture, for better integrating or even for just being able to interact smoother when it comes down to everyday life. Learn Turkish for free in Istanbul Turkish lessons & more in Istanbul - for free There are literally mirads of Turkish lessons offered all over the city. Of better and worse quality and every level of rates asked. But besides that it is not the easiest thing to pick the right language school at all, not everybody may be able to pay much for a language course. Luckily here come the ISMEK in, which is kind of a free public school run by government. In the first place aiming at Turkish residents to provide courses in a broad range of topics from languages over programming to handicrafts, ISMEK also offers Turkish language courses for foreigners...

View from Camlica up the Bosphorus Camlica Hill is probably the number one spot for watching the sunset over Istanbul. It offers a unique perspective on the city, overlooking the old town - Sultanahmet, the areas of Besikatas and Beyoglu, the first Bosphorus Bridge and the main Istanbul waterway, the Bosphorus. If the weather conditions allow it, it is even possible to see the Princes Islands and the famous Mount Uludag near Bursa. Camlica Hill - The view over Istanbul View from Camlica down the Bosphorus Camlica is located about 4km from Üsküdar and divided into two hills: Kücük Camlica (‘Little Pine Hill’) and Büyük Camlica (‘Big Pine Hill’). Büyük Camlica is the highest point in Istanbul at 267m above sea level. Therefore providing the best views of Istanbul. Nevertheless Kücük CAmlica is worth visiting too, being more peaceful and offering beautiful gardens, forests and walking trails. Especially during the spring time Camlica is worth a visit, as in anticipati...

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...

Courtyard entry Mosques in Istanbul In Istanbul one will literally get to see thousands of mosques, the Blue Mosque being the most famous one and renowned one. These mosques are kind of the trademark of Istanbul and its silhouette, with some being more outstanding than others. One of the most stunning mosques of the city is the Süleymaniye Mosque. Some even say it is the most beautiful one of Istanbul. In any case it is well worth a visit, even more worth as the Blue Mosque. And the best thing about all the mosques in Istanbul is that the visit is free, as long as one follows the dress code. Shoes off for everybody and women need to cover her head, shoulders and legs. Süleymaniye Mosque Graveyard/ Tomb/ Dome The mosque was finalized, after seven years of construction, in 1557 to honor Süleyman the Magnificent and is situated on the third hill of Istanbul. The architect of the mosque was the widely known and worshipped Mimar Sinan, who is supposed to be the most famou...

Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art The Elgiz Museum for Contemporary Art is the only museum in Istanbul which is actually free all the time. Besides only the art galleries and the SALT exhibition spaces are free of charge all the time. The Elgiz Museum for Contemporary Art The museum opened in 2001 and was founded by the collectors Sevda and Can Elgiz with the idea of promoting the development of contemporary art in Turkey by providing space, support and international visibility to projects by young Turkish artists.  The Museum is backed up by the Elgiz Collection which consists of work of renown artists such as Ömer Uluç, Abdurrahman Öztoprak, Tracey Emin, Jan Fabre, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, Andy Warhol, Julian Schnabel, Sol LeWitt, Peter Halley, Paul McCarthy,Robert Rauschenberg and Doug Aitken, permanently integrating new works of young artists. Roof Exhibition Space at Elgiz Museum The Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art provides a total of 35...

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...

In Istanbul art can literally be found at every corner, nevertheless there are some hotspots for art in the city, one of them is the Istiklal Caddesi, the main shopping street on the European side of Istanbul. And one of the major contributors is SALT. SALT Beyoglu - Art & Culture for free SALT Beyoglu - Art & Culture in Istanbul SALT Beyoglu is situated in an outstanding six-story 19th century building almost in the very heart of Istiklal. Due to SALT this building is nowadays more like a cultural complex rather than just an art gallery, especially due its multi functionality which allows SALT to host a very diverse and rich cultural program covering basically everything from displays of contemporary art, over audiovisual screenings to talks. The exhibition and displays of modern and contemporary art are spread over three floors, providing variety and also the option for huger exhibitions. Here one can find the current program of SALT Beyoglu . More than just a ...