Byzantine Istanbul: the Monuments of Constantinople to See

Constantinople in a few dates

In 330, Emperor Constantine made the old town of Byzantium his new capital. The city then spread westwards: in the 5th century, Theodosius II closed it off with a triple wall running from the Sea of Marmara to the Golden Horn. In the 6th century, Justinian rebuilt the centre after the Nika riot of 532 and raised Hagia Sophia there. The city was sacked by the Crusaders in 1204, retaken by the Byzantines in 1261, then captured by Mehmed II on 29 May 1453.

The Ottomans turned most of the churches into mosques, which often preserved them. Today the Byzantine monuments fall into two areas: the imperial core, around Sultanahmet Square, and the Fatih neighbourhoods, from Zeyrek to Edirnekapı and out to the walls. One day is enough for the first; you need a second for the rest.

The imperial core: Sultanahmet

Hagia Sophia and Hagia Irene

Built from 532 to 537 by Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus, Hagia Sophia was the empire's great church for almost a thousand years. A mosque again since 2020, it is visited through the upper gallery, home to the Deësis mosaic and the imperial panels. Foreign visitors pay €25; visits are suspended on Fridays from 12pm to 2pm. Just behind it, in the first courtyard of Topkapı Palace, Hagia Irene is Justinian's other great church. Never converted into a mosque, it has kept an 8th-century iconoclast cross in its apse and its original atrium. Like the palace, it closes on Tuesdays.

Opened in 2023 opposite the Hippodrome, the Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum (€25) tells the building's story in immersive rooms and displays Byzantine objects. It complements a visit to the mosque, where tourists now only see the gallery.

The Hippodrome

Sultanahmet Square sits on the former Hippodrome of Constantinople, where the Blue and Green factions clashed over chariot races. Three monuments survive along the axis of the track: the obelisk of Thutmose III, raised by Theodosius I in 390 on a base carved with court scenes; the Serpent Column, a bronze offering by the Greek cities at Delphi after the battle of Plataea, brought here by Constantine; and the Walled Obelisk, stripped of its gilded bronze plates by the Crusaders in 1204. Access is free at any hour.

The cisterns

The Basilica Cistern, built under Justinian opposite Hagia Sophia, is the best known: 336 columns, two reused Medusa heads and an evening session. Run since June 2026 by the General Directorate of Foundations, it opens from 9am to 6:30pm, then from 7:30pm to 10pm; the last published daytime price for foreign visitors was 1,950 TL.

Two smaller reservoirs are far less crowded. The Binbirdirek Cistern, whose name means "a thousand and one columns", lies west of the Hippodrome; it is thought to date from the time of Constantine and opens Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm. The Theodosius Cistern, or Şerefiye, is attributed on architectural grounds to the reign of Theodosius II (408-450); its 32 columns serve as the backdrop for a projection show. Run by Kültür AŞ, the cultural company of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, it opens daily from 10am, with a 900 TL ticket for foreign visitors.

Little Hagia Sophia

Heading down towards the Sea of Marmara, Little Hagia Sophia (Küçük Ayasofya) is the former Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, built under Justinian between 527 and 536. Its octagonal plan beneath a dome, ringed by a columned gallery, makes it one of the most important buildings of early Byzantine art. Converted into a mosque under Bayezid II in the early 16th century, it reopened in 2006 after several years of restoration. Entry is free outside prayer times; look up at the carved Greek frieze running beneath the gallery.

Mosaics in the museums

The Great Palace Mosaic Museum, behind the Blue Mosque, displayed the floors of the emperors' palace. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, it has been closed for restoration since 9 April 2023, with no reopening date announced. For Byzantine objects, head instead to the Istanbul Archaeology Museums, near Gülhane Park (€15 for foreign visitors), which hold among other things a fragment of a head from the Serpent Column.

From Çemberlitaş to Zeyrek

The Column of Constantine

On Divanyolu Avenue, at the Çemberlitaş tram stop, stands the Column of Constantine, inaugurated on 11 May 330 for the founding of the new capital. Its drums of Egyptian porphyry once carried a bronze statue of the emperor, long since lost; the column still rises to almost 35 m. The iron hoops fitted in the Ottoman period gave it its Turkish name, Çemberlitaş, the "hooped stone", and the fire of 1779 that blackened its surface earned it the name "Burnt Column". You see it from the street, no ticket needed.

The Valens Aqueduct

Further west, the Valens Aqueduct (Bozdoğan Kemeri) spans Atatürk Boulevard between the hills of Fatih and Süleymaniye. Completed in 373 under Emperor Valens, it survives as a 921 m bridge, about 29 m high. The Ottomans repaired it several times, notably under Suleiman the Magnificent. You can admire it for free from Saraçhane Park or from the boulevard.

The Pantocrator in Zeyrek

On the hill north of the aqueduct, Zeyrek Mosque occupies the three adjoining churches of the Monastery of Christ Pantocrator, founded in the 12th century by Emperor John II Komnenos and Empress Irene. It was one of the largest monasteries in the city and the burial place of the Komnenoi. Restored by the General Directorate of Foundations from 2009, it was fully returned to worship in 2019. Entry is free outside prayer times.

Fatih and the land walls

Pammakaristos (Fethiye)

In the Çarşamba neighbourhood, the Church of the Virgin Pammakaristos was rebuilt around 1292-1294 by Michael Glabas Tarchaneiotes; in 1315 his widow Maria added a funerary chapel covered in mosaics. Seat of the Orthodox Patriarchate after the conquest, the church was turned into a mosque by Murad III under the name Fethiye, the "Mosque of the Conquest". The mosque section is still in use; the mosaic chapel, which forms the museum, is listed as closed by the Ministry of Culture, with no reopening date announced. Its brick and stone facades can be seen from the garden.

Chora Church

In Edirnekapı, Chora Church, now the Kariye Mosque, holds the finest group of late Byzantine mosaics and frescoes, commissioned between 1315 and 1321 by Theodore Metochites. Reopened in 2024, it can be visited every day except Friday, from 9am to 6pm, for €20 (foreign visitors). Allow an hour.

Tekfur Palace

A few minutes north of Chora, Tekfur Palace, or the Palace of the Porphyrogenitus, is the only Byzantine palace still standing in the city. Its facades alternate bands of brick and stone, with arched windows on three levels. It was part of the Blachernae quarter, residence of the last emperors; in the early 18th century, ceramic workshops moved in. Restored by the metropolitan municipality, it has become a museum: open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm (ticket office until 5:30pm), closed on Mondays, it costs 570 TL for foreign visitors, payable by card.

The Theodosian Walls and Yedikule

Completed in 413 and strengthened in 447, the land wall runs for about 5.7 km from the Sea of Marmara to Tekfur Sarayı. The triple system of moat, outer wall and inner wall with 96 towers is easy to read on the restored stretches. The ramparts are freely accessible; do not climb onto the wall walks, which have no railings. At the southern end, Yedikule Fortress enclosed the Golden Gate, the emperors' triumphal entrance arch, in 1458. Fatih municipality runs free guided visits, by online booking only, Tuesday to Sunday.

Summary table of Byzantine monuments

Prices observed in October 2026, winter-season opening hours. Prices in Turkish lira change often with inflation.

Suggested two-day route

Day 1: Sultanahmet

1. 9am: Hagia Sophia at opening time, via the upper gallery (avoid Friday midday).
2. 10:30am: the Basilica Cistern, just opposite, then the Hippodrome and its obelisks.
3. 12pm: the Binbirdirek or Theodosius Cistern, a few minutes' walk away, then lunch on Divanyolu.
4. 2pm: Little Hagia Sophia, heading down towards the sea, outside the afternoon prayer.
5. 3:30pm: Hagia Irene (not on Tuesdays) or the Archaeology Museums, before the ticket offices close.

Day 2: Fatih and the walls

1. 9am: the Column of Constantine in Çemberlitaş, then the Valens Aqueduct by bus or on foot.
2. 10:30am: Zeyrek Mosque, then Fethiye, seen from outside.
3. 12:30pm: Chora Church, after lunch in Edirnekapı (not on Fridays).
4. 3pm: Tekfur Palace (not on Mondays), then a stretch of the walls heading south, or the walk down to Balat.

The closing days overlap: pick a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday for the second day. For Yedikule, book a separate slot and combine it with the walk along the walls from the Sea of Marmara.

Further reading

For the other sights of the old city, Ottoman mosques, Topkapı and places to eat, see our guide to the Sultanahmet district. To walk along the walls from Yedikule to Ayvansaray, with tram access and safety tips, follow our page on the Theodosian Walls.