Transport system of Istanbul is well developed. It has 2 airports, 50 scaffolding, 28 ships, and 223 kilometers of the railing system 
. The city has 3 Bosporus bridges 
that connect Europe to Asia. The city is well-known for its majestic infrastructures. This includes the 1792 ancient places, 91 museums, and the 28 palaces 
. This has made Istanbul an international attraction for tourists around the world. Near 13 million tourists visit this magnificent city each year.
Top Istanbul tourist attractions
Aya Sofya, formerly known as Hagia Sophia
Aya Sofya is one of the essential landmarks of the city because of its gradual shift from mosque to museum. It is a museum that reminds the ostentatious words of technical ability and wealth of Byzantine Emperor Justinian to the world. It was believed that he said out loud “Glory to God that i have been judged worthy of such a work. Oh, Solomon, I had outdone you!” when he went into his finished church for the very first time.
Blue Mosque built from 1609 to 1616
Blue Mosque is a sensational architecture 🕌 to the Muslim world. It has six minarets, like in the Mosque of Mecca. The mosque got its name from the interior design of multitudes of blue tiles. The overall color and spatial effect of the interior make it one of the greatest achievements of Ottoman Architecture.
Topkapi Palace
The Sultans of the Ottoman Empire ruled over this palace until the 19th century. In the 15th century, it was built by Faith Sultan Mehmet. The palace is uniquely designed with Islamic art of courtyard lines and exquisite hand-painted tile work.
Basilica Cistern
It was built underground the city during the rule of Emperor Justinian when Istanbul is formerly known as “Constantinople.” The Basilica Cistern was the source of water 💦 throughout the palace and the nearby houses. In the Byzantine empire, there was inadequate water for the city walls, and the enemies kept on damaging the aqueducts and putting poison on the rivers that were the primary source of water from Belgrade to Istanbul. This served as the solution to have a potable water in case of emergencies.
Galata Tower
The Galata Tower is ruling the Istanbul skyline with 67 meters in height. It gives tourists a wonderful view of the old city and its environment. The stone tower was made in the medieval age, which is known to be the “Tower of Christ,” making it the tallest building in Istanbul in 1348. It still is the highest tower in Istanbul at present, improved centuries ago. It was used for spotting fires one time. Today, the spot at the top has a night club and a café restaurant 🍸.
Dolmabahce Palace
It is Turkey’s most luxurious palace 🏛️. It is built from the mix of Ottoman architecture and European styles of Rococo and Baroque. It has the world’s largest Bohemian chandelier made of crystal.
Istanbul Archaeological Museum
This museum consists of three: The Ancient Orient Museum, the archaeological museum, and the Tiled Kiosk Museum. It consists of 1 million objects from world civilizations, making it one of the most important museums in the city, found in 1891.
Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar is a spot for those who love shopping. It has 5000 shops that branded it as the largest indoor marketplace in the world. It has quarter-million visitors every day. The Bazaar features jewelry 💍, carpets, antiques 
, and spices found in 1461. It has now 2 mosques, 4 fountains, and 2 steam baths.
Suleymaniye Mosque
This mosque 🕌 will give you a spiritual boost. This mosque is built in the Third Hill of Istanbul, ordered in the year 1550 by Sultan Suleyman The Magnificent. The mosque’s magnificence mixes the Byzantine and Islamic architecture. It was badly damaged during World War I and restored in the 20th century.
Chora Church Museum
Found with exotic Byzantine mosaic art, the church was converted to a mosque after Fatih Sultan Mehmet ruled over the Istanbul city and was named “Kariye Mosque.” The mosque was converted into a museum on the making of Turkey Republic 🇹🇷.
Maiden's Tower
It was built 2500 years ago, on a rocky island near Üsküdar. It was made during the Ancient civilization and reconstructed with the Ottoman Empire, Byzantine Empire, and Ancient Rome. It has a mystic appearance. Today, the tower’s first floor has a restaurant 🍽️ and the second floor with a cafe.
Istanbul Aquarium
Istanbul Aquarium holds the world’s biggest thematic aquarium. It is in a leading position from all the aquariums of the world because of its capacity and variation of fish species in about 1500 🐟. It has also 17,000 sea and land creatures.
Taksim Square
Located in Beyoğlu, it is Istanbul’s most iconic and dynamic place. It was the site of distribution and collection of water from Belgrade Forest in the Ottoman Period. In Turkish, Taksim means “division” or “distribution”.
Top 4 Istanbul Districts
Kadiköy
Kadiköy is famous for its Haydarpaşa Station. It is on the Anatolian side of the city, holding the city’s oldest settlements. This district has the Fenerbahçe football club 🏟️ and bulk statue that are iconic to the city.
Beyoğlu
It is surrounded by Sişli, Beşiktaş and Kağithane districts in the Golden Horn, Bosphorus, districts in the north and other directions with 8.76 square meters in the European side. It is known for the first settlements of Istanbul “Pera” which means “the other side.” It was inhabited by Genoese in Byzantine era. The district became an area of European look because of the foreigners from Christians, and Galata settled in Istiklal Street or “Grand Rue de Pera.” The origin of the name Beyoğlu comes from one rumor that is from Luigi Giritti, son of Venice, the Venetian Baylo in the rule of Suleyman the Magnificent. The Turkish people called the man “Bey Oğlu” (Son of Governor).
Beşiktaş
Located on the European side of Istanbul within the line of the Grater Istanbul Municipality, Beşiktaş is the most outstanding district as its central position. The Fatih Sultan and Bosphorus bridges 🌉 are connected within the boundaries of this district, making it the nexus of transportation in Istanbul. The district is known from a football club that has the name of the district.
Üsküdar
It was found as “Chrysopolis” by ancient greek 🏺 Megarian colonists in the 17th century BC. Byzantium was discovered on the opposite shore after a few decades. The city was used in ancient times for shipyard and harbor and a staging spot for Greeks and Persian wars. Maiden’s Tower is located in this district. In fact, 13, 433, 101 tourists saw the wonders of this magnificent city in 2018.
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