The Princes' Islands or just Adalar (Islands) as they are called by Turks are a chain of nine islands off the Asian coast of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. The islands are Büyükada , Heybeliada, Burgazada, Kinaliada, Sedef Adasi, Yassiada, Sivriada, Kasikadasi and Tavsanadasi.

From among these nine islands four are very popular, Buyukada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, and Kinaliada, especially during the summer months. The Princes’ Islands are popular destinations for day trips from Istanbul offering peace, a resort atmosphere and quiet natural environment. Motor vehicles are not allowed into the islands, the only transports are horses, carts and bicycles.

Located just in from of the Blue Mosque is the ancient "Hippodrome", one of the most famous areas in Byzantine Constantinople, which served as a meeting place for the politicians, for chariot races and other athletic activities. The Hippodrome was built originally by the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus in 203 A.D. when he rebuilt the town of Byzantium, but was Constantine the Great who gave more importance to the Hippodrome and ordered to renovate it. It is estimated that the Hippodrome of Constantine was about 450 metres long and 130 metres wide with a capacity to hold 100,000 spectators.

Istanbul's Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (Türk-Islam Eserleri Müzesi), is a museum located in Sultanahmet Square across from the Blue Mosque exhibiting almost all periods and all types of Islamic art.

The museum stands in the old Palace of Ibrahim Pasha, a sumptuous residence built by Sultan Süleyman. Its collection has over than forty thousand objects including fine oriental rugs, Seljuk and Ottoman woodcarvings, Turkish folk life clothing, rug and kilim looms, showing the weaving and dying techniques.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque or The Blue Mosque (called by the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior) is one of the most remarkable landmarks of Istanbul and considered to be the last example of Ottoman classical architecture.

The Blue Mosque was founded by Sultan Ahmet I (1603-1617) and was completed after the sultan's death in 1617. The sultan ordered to the architect Mehmed Aga to begin constuction in 1609 and the whole complex was completed in 1616. The location of the mosque is just opposite of the splendid Church of Hagia Sophia.

The architecture of the mosque boasts splendid and perfect proportion of domes and semidomes as well as the splendid minarets. Covering a large area the mosque features a big courtyard where some ablution fountains are located. These fountains are for people who are getting prepared to pray in the mosque. Also there are beautiful marble steps right in the middle of the courtyard, built with marble brought from Marmara, leading to the main courtyard. The interior galleries have displays of tiles composed in panels at the balcony level depicting gardens with cypresses, flowers and fruit trees, but the most precious tiles have been used to decorate the royal lodge, which has notable jade and gilt work in its marble mihrab niche.

The Blue Mosque is the only mosque in Turkey that has six minarets. This bought some problem to the Sultan and he was criticized for presumption, because it had the same number as at the mosque of the Ka'aba in Mecca. To resolve the problem, he had to pay for a seventh minaret at the Mecca mosque.

The Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi in turkish) or the Covered Bazaar is the largest and oldest covered bazaar in the world. Situated in the heart of the city, the bazaar consisted originally of two 15th century building with thick walls that were covered with domes, today, the bazaar consists of over four thousands shops stretching over a maze of sixty lanes, 24 hans, 22 gates, restaurants, mosques, fountains and teahouses.