The James Bond films in Istanbul
Three films in the series are set partly in Istanbul:
| Film | Year | Istanbul locations |
|---|---|---|
| From Russia with Love | 1963 | Hagia Sophia, Grand Bazaar, Basilica Cistern, Bosphorus, Sirkeci Station |
| The World Is Not Enough | 1999 | Maiden's Tower (Leander's Tower) |
| Skyfall | 2012 | Eminönü Square and the New Mosque, streets around the Grand Post Office, Grand Bazaar |
Skyfall is the most recent film and the easiest to follow on site: its opening scene, a motorbike chase, goes through Eminönü and then through the Grand Bazaar. The scenes inside the Grand Bazaar were partly recreated in a studio, but the lanes, arcades and neighbouring rooftops are real.
A walking route in Bond's footsteps
Allow half a day to link the places below, from the oldest film to the most recent.
1. Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern (From Russia with Love)
In the 1963 film, agent 007 meets Tatiana Romanova at Hagia Sophia, then goes down with the Turkish agent Kerim Bey into the Basilica Cistern, which they cross by boat between the columns. Today the cistern is visited on foot, on raised walkways. Opening hours, ticketing and queues are detailed on our page.
2. The Grand Bazaar (From Russia with Love and Skyfall)
The Grand Bazaar appears in two films. In 1963, Bond walks through it before meeting Kerim Bey. In 2012, the Skyfall chase rides in on a motorbike, knocks over stalls and emerges onto the rooftops. Visitors, for their part, walk through the galleries, arcades and inner courtyards; the rooftops are not open to visitors. To find the arcades of the scene, arrive early in the morning, before the tour groups.
3. Eminönü, the New Mosque and the Grand Post Office (Skyfall)
The opening scene of Skyfall passes through Eminönü Square, with the New Mosque in the background, and through the junction of the streets around the Sirkeci Grand Post Office (Büyük Postane). You can find these places within a few minutes' walk: the square, the mosque, the Spice Bazaar behind it, then the Grand Post Office, which we describe in our guide to the Eminönü and Sirkeci district.
4. Sirkeci Station
Sirkeci Station, the Orient Express terminus, belongs to the imagination of the spy novel and film; it is associated with From Russia with Love, much of which takes place on a train. Its historic halls have been closed for restoration since August 2025, with reopening announced for autumn 2026 and no confirmed date: for now only the façade can be seen.
5. Maiden's Tower (The World Is Not Enough)
On its islet in the Bosphorus, Leander's Tower served as a setting for part of the 1999 film. It is reached by boat from Üsküdar or Kabataş; our page gives the hours and fares for the crossing.
Other film-related places to visit
- The Museum of Innocence is not a film set but the subject of a novel: it presents the objects imagined by the writer Orhan Pamuk in The Museum of Innocence, a love story set in Istanbul.
- The Pera Palace Hotel, opened in 1892 for Orient Express travellers, is linked by tradition to writers and travel stories; our page on the Pera Palace Hotel gives its history and visiting details.
- On a practical note, the Bosphorus remains the finest wide shot of the city for anyone looking for the images of the films: a late-afternoon cruise shows palaces, fortresses and bridges.
Tips for a film route
- When to come: early in the morning for the Grand Bazaar and the cistern, before the groups; Eminönü can be visited all day, but the quays are calmer before 10am.
- Transport: the T1 tram links Sultanahmet, the Grand Bazaar, Eminönü and Sirkeci; see our guide to transport in Istanbul.
- Stay alert: around the bazaar, decline spontaneous "guides"; see scams and safety in Istanbul.
Going further
To organise your days around these places, follow our Istanbul in 2 days itinerary or the one for Sultanahmet.
