Sultanahmet is the coolest neighborhood of Istanbul that possesses many landmarks of importance and a trip to Istanbul isn’t complete without visiting this amazing place. Sultanahmet is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Istanbul and was once a social and political center of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires as well.
The neighborhood presents you with the rich history and culture of Turkey, and once you reach the area on every corner you will see gems of architecture that are within walking distance from all public transports. You can reach Sultanahmet by Subway and then the T1 tramway lines which are spread in the whole area and take you throughout the neighborhood including many tourist attractions such as Eminonu.
The skyline of Sultanahmet portrays every lasting Hagia Sophia Mosque which was built in the 6th century and is easily visible because of its vast dome, colorful marble columns, Islamic art, and gleaming Christian mosaics.
If you are a tourist and are wondering about the best transportation that can take you to the Sultanahmet neighborhood, then you are in the right place because we have the best options laid out for you to consider. As a tourist, you would want to discover and experience the traditions of Turkey and one of them is the public transportation that comes in various options.
Most of the transportation is accessible through a magnetic transport card which is available to be bought in just 10 Turkish liras from Istanbul card vending machines and you can even take help from a local to help you as Turkish people are quite friendly and love to help whenever they can.
Coming on to the part where we need to discuss how we can reach Sultanahmet, well if you are coming from the Airport then you can easily take the Hava bus line to Aksaray and then further switch on to the T1 tramway as shown in the second figure above directly to Sultanahmet neighborhood.
If you are in city center areas where you can take the Yenikapi Subway line which is an underground train then you can go to the stop of Veznicilar Neighborhood and then take the T1 tramway from there.
There are numerous places that are must-see in the mysteriously everlasting Sultanahmet neighborhood. It is the place where Politics, Culture, Art, Religion, Traditions, and Municipality blossomed because of the centuries-old history of rules and royalty. The Ottoman Empire which is ruled for over 8 centuries took birth in this land of Turkey and furthermore thrived and ruled through this region of Istanbul. The go-to places in Sultanahmet include:
Topkapi is the main palace where Ottoman emperors also known as the Sultans used to live and it is the biggest Museum that holds a rich history and divine culture now. Presently hundreds of tourists and locals visit this museum on a daily basis, and in the 15th and 16th centuries, it served as the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans.
The Haram of the Sultan is still present and nearly 25 sultans lived in this palace throughout their lives until they died so the palace covered nearly 4 centuries. The Topkapi Palace is essential for you to visit and explore at least once on your trip to Turkey so you can understand the true meaning of royalty.
This is a drone view of both the glorious Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia! Both are enriched with history and religion and as we already know Hagia Sophia was originally the oldest church for Christians but then later on it was turned into a mosque.
Both the Mosques are well preserved and the blue mosque dates back to the 7th century while the Hagia Sophia is a late antique that was constructed by Greek geometers in 537 AD! Isn’t that interesting? For Tourists, it is an exciting venture and on their bucket list to visit these mosques at least once in their lifetime.
Lying beneath the city of Istanbul, the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns is the Basilica Cistern. It is an antique landmark in Sultanahmet.
It was built by a Byzantine Emperor in the 6th century and today it is kept with little water to let the public enter and see the miraculous cistern which is located southwest of the Hagia Sophia and tourists love to see it and capture it its image in their memories forever. It is mysterious, exciting, and memorable to see a cistern so old and ancient yet still preserved so don’t miss out on your chance to visit it in Sultanahmet.
Turkish bath also known as Hamam is an old Turkish tradition of bathhouses which are quite popular as well. This Hamam which was built in the 16th century especially for Hurrem Sultan, wife of Sultan Suleiman is still present and is known as Aya Sophia Hamam open for visitors.
Although the human was built in the classical period Ottoman bath style, it was an innovation in Turkish bath architecture to have the sections for men and women constructed on the same axis as mirror images of each other.
The Ayasofya Hurrem Sultan Hamam, one of the most beautiful monuments in Istanbul and you should for sure visit it and enjoy its luxurious services when you go to Istanbul.
There are amazing hotels and restaurants in Sultanahmet that serve the best food and hospitality for tourists especially. Everywhere in that area, you will see people speaking and handling one another in English as they know it’s a tourist spot.
There are famous hotel chains over there ready to serve you such as four seasons Hotel Istanbul, Hagia Sophia mansions, Tan Hotel, and much more. Restaurants over there serve the best Turkish cuisines and you cannot miss out on the infamous Kebabs of Turkey especially.
This is all you need to know as a beginner to discover the Sultanahmet neighborhood and if you want to buy property near this area then it can be beneficial for you to contact our sales representatives as they can give you a complete guideline on buying property on large scale in the oldest neighborhoods of Istanbul, Turkey!