Istanbul is incredible. It’s one of the most awe-inspiring cities we’ve been to thus far. Home to breathtaking architecture, delicious food, and some of the warmest, most genuinely hospitable people we’ve ever met on our travels, it’s a city we would love to visit again and again.

If you’re looking to visit Istanbul for the first time, then I hope this comprehensive travel guide can help you plan your trip. It will tell you everything you need to know from where to stay, which sights to see, and of course, what food to eat.

We enjoyed Istanbul so much that we could honestly see ourselves living there. Spend just one day in this captivating city and I won’t be surprised if you feel the same way too.

ISTANBUL AT A GLANCE

Istanbul is the economic, financial, and cultural center of Turkey. It’s also the country’s biggest city with a population of just over 15 million people, making it one of the largest cities in Europe and the world. For those reasons, it’s natural to assume that Istanbul is Turkey’s capital but it isn’t. That distinction goes to Ankara.

Located on both sides of the Bosphorus, what makes Istanbul geographically interesting is that it’s one of a handful of cities that straddles two continents. The western half of the city is situated in Europe while the eastern half is located in Asia. The Asian side is largely residential so you’ll find most of the city’s major attractions clustered within two districts on the European side – Sultanahmet and Beyoğlu. First-time visitors to the city will be spending much of their time in those two districts.

Istanbul is a city steeped in history and culture so there is much to see and do there. From its Byzantine churches adorned with mosaics and frescoes to its magnificent mosques decorated by sky-high minarets, Istanbul is a city that will mesmerize you at every turn.

BEST TIME TO VISIT ISTANBUL

Spring (March-May) is the best time to visit Istanbul, followed by Autumn (September-November). Crowds are thinner and the weather is moderate during both seasons, though Autumn sees more rain than Spring. We went in early November and the weather was near perfect. I was comfortable walking around in a light jacket with just a t-shirt inside. It was overcast on a couple of days but it never rained.

Fans of tulips — which are originally from Turkey, not Holland — will be pleased to know that the International Tulip Festival is held in April with millions of tulips in bloom throughout the city.

MAR-MAY: This is the best time to visit Istanbul. The weather is relatively mild and dry and the city will be awash with color. The next time we visit Istanbul, it will definitely be in April to take part in the tulip festival.

JUNE-AUG: Apart from being the busiest time of the year, June till August can get pretty hot and humid — up to 28°C/82°F. Lines are at their longest and prices at their peak during this time.

SEPT-NOV: Like Spring, Autumn is a great time to visit Istanbul. The weather is similar although it does get rainier in the Fall as described. While Spring has the Tulip Festival, Autumn has its share of festivals as well like the Akbank Jazz Festival and the Istanbul Theater Festival, both of which are in November.

DEC-FEB: December till February is low season in Istanbul. It’s the wettest and coldest time of the year so be sure to dress appropriately. It can get rainy and snowy with temperatures dropping down to a frigid 3°C/37°F.

Welcome to cradle of Civilizations!
Ilber Ortaylı is a famous historian in Turkey. He also said that Anatolia, the cradle of civilizations, is the largest open-air museum in the world. Anatolia played an important role in ancient times, Roman Empire, Hellenistic Civilization, Seljuks and Ottoman Empire. And also Ions, Akkadians, Assyrians, Persians, Byzantines, Romans and Alexander Empire were established in this land.

This land has been home to dozens of civilizations. Because it has very fertile soils and water resources and also the geographic location is very important

So where is the Anatolia?
Anatolia is separated from europe by Bosphorus Strait .The Anatolian region is located east of europe and west of asia. In fact, this region was called Little Asia in history. In other words, the region we call anatolia is the transition region.In addition, the fact that the geography where Anatolia is located on important trade routes caused many cultures to be influenced by each other. Therefore, it carries traces from the civilizations it has hosted throughout history. For all these reasons, Anatolia is known as the Cradle of Civilizations. Anatolia is full of remains of ancient civilizations.

If you are coming to the cradle of civilizations, be prepared to embark on a journey of time.

We take you on a short journey.

Ephesus City
The first one is ephesus city which is an ancient city in turkey. Every year this place is taking a lot of visitors from all around the world.The city located on the west coast of anatolia and the city was formerly an ancient Greek city and later became an important Roman city.

The city Founding date is based on 6000 BC years.The city is also home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 wonders of the world.

Ephesus Ancient City

Gobeklitepe
Second one is the Göbeklitepe. ıt will amaze you. if you will be here you’ll see the oldest manmade structure ın the world.

Göbeklitepe, the construction of which dates back to 10000 BC, is known as the oldest and largest worship center in history. The city is in southeast Turkey.

In 2011, Göbeklitepe was included in the World Heritage Temporary List by UNESCO.

The temple here is the largest known temple in the world. Indeed, it is more the historical significance that makes Gobeklitepe a pre-historic gem, not only in Turkey but also in the world and in the expert fields of history and religion.

Gobeklitepe

The Grand Theatre of Aspendos
This land full of with ancient cities. This one was founded by Akalar in the BC10th century.
Aspendos is an ancient city famous for its amphitheater in Antalya.The Aspendos Theater is a building that has the characteristics of Roman architecture and was built in the 2nd century BC.
It is one of the places everyone should go and see.

The Grand Theatre of Aspendos

Miletus Ancient City
The history of Miletus in Aydın province dates back to the polished stone age. It is an ancient port city on the coast of the Aegean region in the west of Anatolia. It is thought that the first settlement in the ancient city dates back to 2000 BC.

It became one of the most important centers of art, science and culture of the Aegean after the 7th century BC. At the same time, it became one of the most important port cities of the time with its four big harbors connected to Didyma by a 24 km sanctuary.

The another important thing is that this city is the birthplace of philosophy.Thales, Anaximandros, Anaximenes, Hekataios and Isidoros were the greatest philosophers in the history of philosophy and they grew up here.

Miletos

Troia Ancient City
No ancient city has ever been as famous as Troy.Many epics have been written on this city, which history has defined as the home of love, heroism and civilization and these epics have kept Troia alive until today.
The ancient city of Troy, also known as the site of the Trojan War mentioned in Homer’s Epic of Iliad, entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.

The city, which is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world with its historical history dating back to 3000 BC, is located within the borders of Çanakkale province. The epic city that is the subject of the films will impress you. You should definitely not go back without seeing this place.

Troia Ancient City