Istanbul has the best attractions that are rich in culture and architecture. Tick off your Turkey bucket list with these must-visit places. Check our guide on the travel requirements, how to go, and what to explore. Read more!

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The climate in Istanbul is a temperate oceanic climate whereby most of the weather pattern is influenced by the continental climate.

Despite being in the dry season, there are some infrequent rainfalls of around 15 - 30 minutes. Even though the rain is not for long, it is common for the city to get flash floods due to the city's hilly topography and lack of a sewage system.

During winter, the temperature can drop to 2ºC at night and 7ºC during the day.

The winter can also be harsh and unpleasant due to the high humidity and strong winds. From December to March, the city almost annually receives snowfall.

The distance between Manila city and Istanbul city is 9,115 kilometers. If travelers fly from Manila to Sabiha Gokcen, the flight time will take around 21 hours and 26 minutes.

Flights from Manila or Clark to other parts of Turkey, such as Kutahya or Sabiha Gokcen, will take approximately 23 to 24 hours long.

These airlines are Thai Airways International, Turkish Airlines, and Oman Air, which offer flights from Manila Airport to Istanbul Airport. Depending on the dates, the flights will cost around PHP 21,000 to PHP 60,000.

The best time to visit the city depends on each traveler.

While many travelers would aim to be in the sun, the best time to visit the city would be from June to August. However, this also happens to be the peak season.

The weather can be hot and humid. However, the sun would be reflecting on the Bosphorus and shows the water to be sparkling.

This is also where many cafes, restaurants, and bars would open outdoor seating for visitors to enjoy the sun. Various concerts, festivals, and other events are held to take the warm weather opportunity.

The low season would be from December to February when the city experiences chilly winter months.

Due to the cold, not many travelers visit the city during this period, making the accommodations cheaper and more available.

Hagia Sophia is a vast architectural landmark built 1500 years ago as a Christian Basilica and is one of the top attractions in Istanbul.

From a church, it became a mosque for several centuries. Later it was turned into a museum but changed back into a mosque and remains until today.

What is excellent about Hagia Sophia is the architectural elements embedded in it.

It is one of the most significant surviving Byzantine architecture where the interiors are decorated with mosaics, marble pillars, and coverings with many great artistic values.

The floor comprises Proconnesian white marble and Thessalian verd antique marble.

The dome also has many exciting facts where the engineers would carry four spherical triangular pendentives.

Despite the structural issues over the years, Hagia Sophia is still fantastic where the light would reflect in the nave's interior, making the dome seem to be hovering above, especially since the building has been around for many centuries.

Many developments have improved the dome structure to support its weight.

The Istanbul Archaeological Museum is made up of three museums:

This museum exhibits more than one million items from all eras and civilizations of world history.

The museums are located in the Eminonu quarters of Istanbul, near Gulhane Park and Topkapi Palace. It technically belongs to the Topkapi palace outer gardens.

Some of the collections available in this museum are related to the Anatolian, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Iran, and Ancient Arabian. Many Egyptian Art artifacts are available here, and many of them come from Dra Abu al Nagar's excavations.

The collection also includes gifts from Hidivs of Egypt and other Ottoman officers.

The third museum, the Tiled Kiosk, is also one of the oldest structures in Istanbul. It features Ottoman civil architecture. It was initially used as the Imperial Museum.

The Basilica Cistern is the biggest among the several hundred ancient cisterns built underneath the city of Istanbul.

It is located 150 meters away from Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Saraburnu in the southwest.

The large cistern provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople and the other buildings located on the First Hill. It continues to provide water to the Topkapi Palace from the time of the Ottoman conquest in 1453 to the current modern times.

The ceiling of the cistern is supported by 336 marble columns where each column is 9 meters tall, and it is arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns with 5 meters spaced apart.

Some of the columns have engravings such as raised pictures of Hen’s Eye, slanted branches, and tears.

There are two columns in which the base has the carvings of the visage of Medusa from the late Roman period. They are also carved and engraved from many types of marble and granite.

The Grand Bazaar of Istanbul is one of the world's largest and oldest covered markets. There are over 61 streets covered in the Grand Bazaar with more than 4,000 shops totaling 30,700-meter square.

The Istanbul Grand Bazaar is also one of the world's first shopping malls. The bazaar is located inside the Walled City of Istanbul in the district of Fatih.

Some of the items on-sold here in the bazaar are carpets and kilims. The hand-loomed carpets make it Turkey's most famous handicrafts.

Turkey has a great heritage of carpet making, where each of the regions and cities all over the country has its way of looming the carpets.

The vendors are always ready to unfurl all of their stocks to find what best pique your interest.

Another famous souvenir to bring home would be the lamps and lanterns because they are made of mosaic glass. The glass is often colorful when it lits up. It will display an array of colors.

There are also ceramics sold here at the bazaar. Similar to the carpets, the ceramics also come from the work of Iznik and Kutahya. The ceramics are made with designs from the Ottoman Empire, such as tulip and floral patterns.

The mass-produced ceramics are made into jugs, plates, and ornaments, and it is cheaper than the hand-painted ones.

The Topkapi Palace is a museum in Istanbul specializing in the exhibition of Imperial collections from the Ottoman Empire, including the collection of books and manuscripts too.

The museum is in the palace complex itself, where it used to be the administrative center and the residential place of the imperial Ottoman court.

The architecture of the establishment is a plus point of the palace. It has multiple courtyards with hand-painted tiles and brilliantly decorated rooms.

The Harem was where the Sultan used to spend their time with his concubines. The palace also has Imperial Council Chamber, an Imperial Treasury, and Sacred Safekeeping Rooms.

What makes the place a fantastic attraction is when visitors can see the details of the construction. There is gold embedded in the walks together with the mosaic and tiles.

The main attractions of the Topkapi Palace are the:

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