Istanbul Off the Beaten Path Tips by MalenaN

Istanbul has several big beautiful mosques. Fatih Camii (Mosque of the conqueror) was the first one to be built after the conquest. Not much remains of the original one as it has been destroyed by earthquake and fire.
It is a peaceful place to visit and not turisty.

Beside the mosque is a big yard where it is nice to have a break and sit down to watch people go by.

Fatih Camii is a few km nortwest of the Blue Mosque.

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Behind the mosque is the cemetery and the tomb of Mehmet the Conqueror.
To the tomb there is an entrance fee of 1000 000 TL.

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Many tourists come here so it might not be off the beaten path, but it is quite far from the other tourist attractions in Sultanahmet Area.

Chora/Kariye was built as a church , but has also been used as a mosque. Now it is a museum. The building now standing was built during the 11th century. Inside there are beautiful mosaics from the 14th century. The mosaics are mainly in the ceiling and high on the walls, so be prepared to feel it in your neck.
In a side chapel there are impressive paintings from the same period as the mosaics.

The yard outside the museum is peaceful and a nice place to sit in for a while.

Entrance fee is 10 000 000 TL.

To go there from Eminönü take bus 32, 37, 38 or 910 and ask for Karyie Camii.

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Phone: +90 212 631 92 41

Down the hill from Blue Mosque, towards the sea of Marmara you can visit the home of Dede Efendi, a famous composer of music for the dancing dervishes. His house is a restored turco-ottoman house from the 18th century. There are just a few rooms with little decoration and with wooden ceilings. Sufi music is played in the background.
Dede Efendi worked for the sultan Selim III. After the sultans death, the death of his mother and the death of his son he ended his service at court and wrote his masterpices at home.

Entrance fee is 1 000 000 TL.

Take a walk in the neighbourhood as well.

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A sunny sunday afternoon I visited Rumeli Hisari. It is a fortress by Bosphorus, just by Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. The fortress was built in 1452 as a preparation for the invation of Constantinopel. There are stairs so you can climb up along the walls and admire the view over Bosphorus and the boats. But be careful, there are no fences.
Entrance fee is 4 000 000 TL (for tourists).

The shore along Bosporus are popular to visit on Sundays and people, cars and motorbikes are cruseing back and forth. Just below Rumeli Hisari there are several cafes.

To go here you can take a bus from Eminönü, Taksim or Besiktas.
The Bosphorus ferry stops in Belek and from there you can walk.

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Ortaköy is the suburb just below the Bosphorus Bridge, on the European side.
When I visited late a Sunday afternoon there was really many people there. All cafes were ful of people, there were people sitting by the waterfront and walking around the streets were there was a market.

I wanted to take the bus from Ortaköy to Eminönu but the traffic almost stood still. As many others I walked (the traffic was not much faster) and not until I had reached Besiktas it came a bus to Eminönu.

Going with the Bosphorus ferry you will probably see Buyuk Mecidiye Camii. It is a mosque built by the same architect as Dolmabahce palace.

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In the centre of the south dome is a portrait of Christ and in the centre of the north dome a picture of Virgin Mary and the child. In the inner nartex of the small domes there are pictures of Christs ancestors, going all way back to Adam.
Other mosaics on the wall have motifs from Christ or Virgin Marys life.

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Phone: +90 212 631 92 41

The side chapel is built to hold the tomb of the founder of the church. The walls here are painted with frescos dating from the same time as the mosaics (14th century).

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Phone: +90 212 631 92 41