The Sultanahmet area of Istanbul has a lot of the historic attractions that anyone would want to visit on their first or even second visit to Istanbul. There is the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii), Hagia Sofia (Aya Sofya), Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Arasta Bazaar and Topkapi Palace.
The palace was begun in the 1400s and Ottoman sultans lived there until the 19th century. There are various courtyards to move through and each one has its own set of buildings. I think my favourite part was the harem. It was quite separate and I’m pretty sure I read that the word harem means protected. There was a very big line to get into the Treasury but once inside you don’t have to stay in a line moving around to the various pieces of jewellery.
The cost was 20 Turkish Liras and the Harem cost an extra 15TL. It took me a good 3 hours to get around to it all and some areas I moved through very quickly. It was very worth seeing – get there early before the crowds.
