A route that walks the historic peninsula from end to end to see how Byzantine churches and Ottoman complexes stand side by side in the same neighbourhoods. We compiled it from the way Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı suggested getting to know Istanbul: on foot, neighbourhood by neighbourhood; we added the timings, breaks and practical notes.
This route was compiled by AnatoliaPass editors from the published recommendations of the person named; the timings, breaks and practical notes are ours. It does not mean that the person recommends or endorses AnatoliaPass.
Start: Eminönü pier · stay 30 min
The walk begins at the historic peninsula's gateway to the harbour. The courtyard of the New Mosque and the Spice Bazaar (Valide Sultan Bazaar) behind it show how the city's trade has worked for centuries.
The bazaar is very crowded on Sundays; go through early.
5-min walk · stay 30 min
Tahtakale is the street of wholesalers and small shops. Raised above the shops, the Rüstem Paşa Mosque is lined inside with İznik tiles; it's one of the places where Sinan brought trade and worship together in a single building.
The mosque can't be visited at prayer times; follow the dress code.
7–8 min, uphill · stay 25 min
The hans lining the slope were where the heart of trade beat in Ottoman Istanbul. Look at the inscriptions above the doorways, the courtyards and the workshops still in business; you'll see that the city still does business on the same streets today.
On weekdays there are lots of porters carrying loads and vehicles; walk at the side.
10-min walk · stay 50 min
The complex Mimar Sinan built for Süleyman the Magnificent, designed like a neighbourhood with madrasas, a hospital, a soup kitchen and tombs around the mosque. The view from the back garden over the Golden Horn and Galata is the walk's finest break.
The mosque closes to visitors at midday prayer time; check the time in the alert below.
Just behind the complex · stay 45 min
On the old madrasa street on the south side of the mosque (Prof. Sıddık Sami Onar Caddesi), restaurants have been cooking dried beans with rice for generations. Sit down before the lunchtime rush.
8 min, downhill · stay 20 min
The narrow streets running down from Süleymaniye towards the Golden Horn lead to Küçükpazar, an old tradesmen's quarter. Today it's a plain neighbourhood, and that's the real point of the walk: seeing the everyday city between the monuments.
10-min walk · stay 40 min
The church of the Pantokrator Monastery; it was converted into a mosque after the conquest. A Byzantine monastery living on in the middle of an Ottoman neighbourhood, among wooden houses, sums up the essence of this route.
No visits at prayer times or at Friday midday.
Friday prayer today is at 12:53: Zeyrek Mosque (Pantokrator) is closed to visitors from about 12:23 to 14:23. Move this stop to before or after.
12-min walk · stay 40 min
The complex founded by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror; the present mosque was rebuilt after the 1766 earthquake. Mehmed lies in the tomb behind the courtyard. With its madrasas, it was one of the city's first great Ottoman centres of learning. Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı was also laid to rest in this mosque's graveyard following his death on 13 March 2026; this route was compiled from his recommendations.
Friday midday is very crowded; keep an eye on prayer times.
Friday prayer today is at 12:53: the Fatih Mosque and Complex is closed to visitors from about 12:23 to 14:23. Move this stop to before or after.
8-min walk · stay 30 min
A neighbourhood named after the large market held around the Fatih Mosque on Wednesdays. On market day the streets fill with stalls; otherwise, with its coffeehouses and tradespeople, you'll see one of old Istanbul's most conservative and liveliest neighbourhoods.
Be respectful of people when taking photos; on some streets, ask permission first.
15 min, downhill towards the Golden Horn · stay 60 min
The Golden Horn shore where Greek, Armenian and Jewish communities lived together for centuries. Here you'll find the Ecumenical Patriarchate at Fener, the cast-iron Bulgarian Church (Sveti Stefan) and streets of colourful houses. End the day with a coffee.
The Ahrida Synagogue can only be visited by prior appointment.
Bus to Ayvansaray from Balat or Eminönü · stay 40 min
The second day begins at the northern end of the city walls. The Blachernae Palace, where the emperors lived in the late Byzantine period, stood in this area; where the walls run down to the Golden Horn are the Anemas dungeons and the Atik Mustafa Paşa Mosque (a former Byzantine church).
Visiting arrangements for the Anemas dungeons depend on restoration work; check before you go.
20 min, along the inner side of the walls · stay 50 min
The church of the Chora Monastery; its 14th-century mosaics and frescoes show the last great period of Byzantine art. The nearby Mihrimah Sultan Mosque is one of Sinan's light-filled works; beside the walls, you see two worlds side by side.
Kariye is a mosque today: on Fridays it is open for worship only, and visits are paused before prayer times. Foreign visitors pay an entry fee (€20 in 2024); Turkish citizens enter free. Check the current hours and fee before you go.
25–30 min, south along the walls · stay 20 min
The Theodosian Walls were built in the 5th century and protected the city for a thousand years; the fiercest fighting of the 1453 siege took place between Topkapı and Edirnekapı. The walls' moat has since become market gardens; notice this transformation as you walk.
Some sections of the walls are deserted; walk during the day and in company, and don't climb onto the walls.
45–50 min along the walls (≈3.5 km); if you get tired, 10 min by taxi · stay 50 min
The seven-towered fortress added in Mehmed the Conqueror's time behind the Byzantine Golden Gate, at the southern end of the walls. In the Ottoman period it was used as a treasury and a prison; today it can be visited as a museum.
Visiting days and hours may change; check before you go.
35–40 min on foot (via Kocamustafapaşa) or by bus · stay 20 min
On the way back into the city from Yedikule, you pass through the Kocamustafapaşa and Cerrahpaşa neighbourhoods; the Cerrahpaşa Mosque is the work of Sinan's pupil Davud Ağa. Byzantine cisterns and small mosques are tucked away among the back streets.
30 min on foot or by tram (Aksaray–Beyazıt) · stay 40 min
The oldest surviving imperial mosque in Istanbul, with the Book Bazaar (Sahaflar Çarşısı) and the monumental gate of Istanbul University beside it. Byzantium's Forum of Theodosius was also on this square.
The mosque can't be visited at prayer times.
Bugün i̇kindi 15:51: Beyazıt Camii yaklaşık 15:21–16:51 arası ziyarete kapalı. Bu durağı öncesine ya da sonrasına kaydır.
15 min, along Divanyolu · stay 75 min
The walk ends at the Byzantine Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia: the place where all the neighbourhoods you've seen over two days come together. After the Obelisk and the Serpent Column, look up at the dome from Hagia Sophia's gallery.
At Hagia Sophia, foreign visitors enter through a separate entrance with a ticket; visits are paused at prayer times.
Bugün i̇kindi 15:51: Ayasofya yaklaşık 15:21–16:51 arası ziyarete kapalı. Bu durağı öncesine ya da sonrasına kaydır.
≈ 2 h 15 min · fast ferry + bus · Day trip
Why here: The first Ottoman capital. The Green Mosque, the Grand Mosque and Koza Han make an easy day trip; we suggest it if you are staying in Istanbul for more than four days. Not part of this route.
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