Istanbul: Beyoglu Region, Istanbul, Turkey

As I mentioned in my previous post about Istanbul, the city of 14 million people is split into three by the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus Strait. The old city or the Sultanahmet district is to the south, the Asian side is to the east and the New Town called Beyoĝlu or the European Quarter is to the north. The old city definitely features the most the sites, but Beyoĝlu also has many. Below is a list of sites to see in Beyoĝlu. Begin just north of the Beyoĝlu region on the Bosphorus Coast at the Dolmabahçe Palace.

It is very easy to get from the touristy Sultanahmet district where many visitors stay to the Dolmabahçe Palace. Just hop on the tram for 3.50TL with Instanbul Kart and take it to the Kabatas station. Exit and walk northeast past the Dolmabahçe Mosque to the palace entrance which is the exit as well. Don’t make my mistake. From a distance, I saw a sign that pointed to the left marked “entrance” so I walked part way around the palace grounds to the next gate, only to realize that the entrance was on the left and the exit was on the right at the first gate reached from the tram station. There are a variety of entrance fees to the Palace based on seeing limited attractions or all of them. I arrived at the ticket window at 9am where I purchased the full price ticket for 90TL which includes a free audio guide. During shoulder season, tension with Syria, and the beginning of COVID_19, the usual crowds were non-existent. I walked right in though midday proved different with a long line at security. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).