Eminönü and Sirkeci: what to see between the Spice Bazaar and the station

Understanding Eminönü and Sirkeci

Eminönü occupies the south shore of the Golden Horn, where the Galata Bridge crosses to Karaköy. Since Byzantine times it has been the city's merchant port: the quarters of the Venetian, Genoese and Amalfitan traders stretched along these quays. The Ottomans built warehouses, caravanserais (han) and, in the 17th century, the great complex of the New Mosque and its covered market, the Egyptian Bazaar.

Sirkeci continues Eminönü eastwards, towards Seraglio Point. The district was transformed in the late 19th century by the arrival of the railway: the station, the Grand Post Office, the hotels and the office buildings date from that time. Administratively, both areas belong to the Fatih district, like Sultanahmet, which begins ten minutes' walk uphill. The area lives to the rhythm of its shops: very busy from 8am to 7pm, it largely empties in the evening, except around the ferry pier and Hocapaşa Street.

Eminönü: mosques and market streets

The New Mosque (Yeni Cami)

Facing the Galata Bridge, the New Mosque dominates Eminönü Square with its two minarets and its cascade of domes. Begun in 1597 on the initiative of the sultana Safiye, abandoned for several decades, it was completed in 1665 by the sultana Turhan Hatice, mother of Mehmed IV. After a seven-year restoration it reopened for worship in January 2023. Visiting is free outside prayer times, with modest dress; the page on the mosque describes the interior and the visiting rules.

The Egyptian Bazaar and Tahmis Street

Just behind the mosque, the Egyptian Bazaar, or Spice Bazaar, forms a single complex with it: its rents paid for the mosque's upkeep. Our page details its hours, its shops and the traps to avoid when buying. Leaving by the west gate, Tahmis Street gathers delicatessens, cheesemongers and dried-meat sellers. This is where you find the coffee house Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, founded in 1871, recognisable by the queue at its counter and the smell of roasting coffee drifting down the street. Along the bazaar's outer wall, on the mosque side, a plant and seed market occupies the pavement.

Tahtakale, Hasırcılar Street and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque

West of the bazaar lies Tahtakale, the wholesale district, where kitchen utensils, household goods, toys and fabrics are sold among porters and delivery men. Its main street, Hasırcılar (the "street of the basket weavers"), is lined with shops selling spices, dried fruit and groceries, more frequented by Istanbulites than the bazaar itself.

Among these shops, a stone staircase leads to the Rüstem Pasha Mosque, built by Mimar Sinan around 1561-1563 above a row of stalls and covered entirely in Iznik tiles. Entry is free outside prayers. At the end of September 2026, restoration work was reported on the building: check on site that the prayer hall is still open. From there, sloping alleys climb in a quarter of an hour to the Süleymaniye Mosque.

The waterfront: bridge, piers and balık ekmek

The Galata Bridge

The Galata Bridge links Eminönü to Karaköy. The present bridge, opened in 1994, replaced several successive structures since the 19th century. Walking across takes about ten minutes: fishermen line their rods along the upper deck, while the lower level is occupied by restaurants. The view of the New Mosque and the Süleymaniye from the middle of the bridge is one of the most photographed in the city. On the other side begins our guide to Galata and Karaköy.

The piers

Eminönü's quay has several piers. The public Şehir Hatları ferries serve Kadıköy and Üsküdar on the Asian shore, and the company's Bosphorus cruises leave from here: on winter schedules, the long cruise leaves at 10:35 for Anadolu Kavağı and the short cruise at 14:40. Details are in our page on the Bosphorus cruise. The private company Turyol also has its ticket counters on the quay. Further east, at Sirkeci, the İDO ferry pier runs the crossing to Harem, on the Asian shore, for cars and pedestrians alike.

The balık ekmek boats

West of the bridge, boats decorated in Ottoman style and moored at the quay grill fish from morning to night to make balık ekmek: a fillet of fish, often mackerel, served in half a loaf with salad and onion. You eat it on the low stools set up on the quay, with a glass of fermented turnip juice (şalgam) or pickles sold alongside. The price varies from boat to boat and changes often: look at the sign displayed before ordering. For other street food, see our guide to what to eat in Istanbul.

Sirkeci: the station, the post office and Hocapaşa Street

Sirkeci Station

Opened in 1890 to plans by the German architect August Jasmund, Sirkeci Station was the European terminus of the Orient Express. Its large glass roofs, arched doorways and clocks combine Orientalism and European railway architecture. The historic halls and the railway museum they housed were closed in August 2025 for a restoration led by the Ministry of Culture, which plans to install a railway museum and an emigration museum there. Reopening was announced for autumn 2026, with no confirmed date in early October: check before planning a visit. The station still serves the Marmaray commuter train, whose platforms are underground.

The Grand Post Office (Büyük Postane)

Two streets from the station, the Grand Post Office was built between 1905 and 1909 by the architect Vedat Tek, one of the figures of the first Turkish national architecture movement, which combines Ottoman arches, tiles and domes with a modern structure. The building still works as a post office: you can enter the large central hall during counter opening hours. Since 2000 it has also housed a small PTT museum, devoted to the history of the Ottoman and Turkish post, telegraph and telephone, with a stamp collection. Entry is free and the museum opens on weekdays only.

Hocapaşa Street and the Hodjapasha centre

Between the station and the Grand Post Office, Hocapaşa Street and its neighbouring lanes form the district of the lokanta, the popular restaurants serving cooked dishes displayed in the window, and of pide and köfte counters. Close by, the Hodjapasha cultural centre, set in a 15th-century hammam, stages a whirling dervish show every evening: hours and prices are detailed in our guide to whirling dervishes in Istanbul.

Towards Gülhane and Topkapı

Following the tram rails eastwards, you reach the entrance of Gülhane Park in five minutes, the former garden of Topkapı Palace, free and open every day: a good place to rest in the shade after the crowds of Eminönü.

Where to eat in Eminönü and Sirkeci

The district suits lunch better than dinner: most places close in the early evening, along with the shops.

• Hocapaşa Pidecisi: opened in 1964 on Hocapaşa Street, this small counter serves only pide, Turkish flatbreads topped with cheese, minced meat or egg, baked in a wood oven.
• The lokanta of Hocapaşa Street: choose from the window beans, stews, stuffed vegetables and rice pilaf, served quickly at moderate prices; this is everyday Istanbul home cooking.
• Pandeli: upstairs in the Egyptian Bazaar, above one of its gates, this restaurant founded in 1901 has reopened; it serves classic Ottoman cuisine, at lunchtime, in rooms covered in turquoise tiles.
• Hamdi: at 11 Kalçın Street, near Tahmis Street, this restaurant serving south-eastern Turkish kebabs has a rooftop terrace overlooking the Golden Horn and the Galata Bridge.
• Sweets: Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir, on Hamidiye Street, sells Turkish delight in the shop founded in 1777 by the confectioner Bekir Efendi; Hafız Mustafa 1864, on Muradiye Street in Sirkeci, serves baklava and desserts.

Always ask for the menu with prices before sitting down, especially in restaurants that send touts onto the pavement. For fish, the selection of places in our guide to where to eat fish in Istanbul goes beyond balık ekmek.

Summary of the sights

Hours and prices observed in October 2026; mosques close to visitors during the five prayers and on Friday until the end of the midday prayer.

Getting there and around

The T1 tram serves the district with two stops: Eminönü, in front of the New Mosque, and Sirkeci, in front of the station; the next stop, Gülhane, is at the park entrance. In one direction, the T1 crosses the Galata Bridge towards Karaköy and Kabataş; in the other, it climbs towards Sultanahmet and the Grand Bazaar. The Marmaray train stops at the underground Sirkeci station and passes under the Bosphorus to Üsküdar. The Eminönü ferries cross to Kadıköy and Üsküdar. All these services are paid with the Istanbulkart, whose use and fares are explained in our guide to transport in Istanbul.

On foot, allow ten minutes from Sultanahmet Square to Sirkeci Station, ten minutes to cross the Galata Bridge, and a quarter of an hour from the Egyptian Bazaar to the Grand Bazaar going up the Mahmutpaşa streets. The district is flat along the water, but every street to the south climbs.

Safety and pitfalls to avoid

Eminönü is one of the busiest places in Istanbul, especially on Saturdays. The district is safe by day, but the crowds call for a few precautions:

• keep your bag and phone in front of you in the streets of Tahtakale and on Eminönü Square, and on the T1 tram at rush hour;
• in narrow streets, let the porters (hamal) and delivery carts through: they do not stop;
• beware of the shoe shiner who drops his brush in front of you, then asks for a large sum for having shined your shoes;
• on the quay, compare the offers of private cruise sellers and have the price, duration and inclusions confirmed in writing;
• in the fish restaurants under the bridge, have the price and weight confirmed before cooking.

These traps and others are detailed in our guide to scams and safety in Istanbul.

Going further

Eminönü is the link between the old city and the rest of Istanbul. Going uphill, our guide to the Sultanahmet district presents Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and their surroundings. Crossing the bridge, the one on Galata and Karaköy takes over. To go up the estuary towards Balat, Fener and Eyüp, follow our guide to the Golden Horn.