Attractions

This 17th century mosque, near Haghia Sophia, is famous for the beautiful blue tile work ornamenting its walls. Its surrounding six slim minarets distinguish it from other mosques which normally have two or four minarets. It was built by architect Mehmet Aga by the order of Sultan Ahmed I as a complex in seven years and became the most important mosque of the city, right in Sultanahmet square.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 10 minutes by tram 

Visiting Hours: Open 24 Hours

Entrance Fee: No fee

(A.K.A) Sunken Palace, was used as the water reservoir for the Byzantine Great Palace during the reign of Justinian in 532. Inside the huge building, there is a few feet of water but wooden walkways have been built for visitors. There are 336 columns supporting a cathedral ceiling and some of them were taken from torn-down temples. The interior of the building has special dim lighting and classical music is played to create an eerie atmosphere.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 10 minutes by tram 

Visiting Hours: 09.00 – 18.30

Entrance Fee: 20 TRY

This is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops which attract 400k visitors daily. Opened in 1461, it is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by the type of goods, with special areas for leather coats and gold jewelry. The bazaar contains two bedestens, the first was constructed on 1455 by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restoration following an earthquake.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 10 minutes by tram 

Visiting Hours: 09.00 – 19.00 except Sundays

While the Grand Bazaar may be the largest and most famous of Istanbul’s covered bazaars, this spice market wins the prize for being the most colorful, fragrant, and often the most fun – as visitors can taste the goods on offer. The Spice Bazaar, was built in 1660 next to the then busy, industrial port of Eminönü. Product was shipped to and from everywhere within and outside of Ottoman lands. The name meaning Egypt, was chosen because the market was built with the funds of incoming Egyptian taxes.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 10-15 minutes by walking 

Visiting Hours: 09.00 – 19.00 except Sundays

The Dolmabahçe Palace was home to the last six sultans from 1856 to 1924: The last royal to live here was Abdülmecid Efendi. A law that went into effect on March 3, 1924 transferred the ownership of the palace to the national heritage of the new Turkish Republic. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, used the palace as a presidential residence during the summers and enacted some of his most important works here. Atatürk spent the last days of his medical treatment in this palace, where he died on November 10, 1938.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 10 minutes by taxi 

Visiting Hours: 9.00-16.00 every day except Mondays 

Entrance Fee: 60 TRY (plus Harem 40 TRY)

Maiden’s Tower was first built by the ancient Athenian general Alcibiades in 408 BC to control the movements of the Persian ships in the Bosphorus strait. Back then the tower was located between the ancient cities of Byzantion and Chrysopolis. Used as a lighthouse for centuries, the interior of the tower has been transformed into a popular café and restaurant, with an excellent view of the former Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman capital. Private boats make trips to the tower several times a day.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 5 minutes by tram and then a 5 minutes journey with boat for weekends.

The Café and Restaurant are open in between 9.00-00.30 every day

The Cağaloğlu Hamam was constructed in 1741 and is the last hamam to be built after a long period during the Ottoman Empire. It is the last example of it’s kind to be built in Istanbul and is a successful hamam that is still operational in our time. The 300 years old Cagaloglu Hamam has given service to movie stars, world leaders, writers, public icons and famous visitors through the years. Ataturk, Harrison Ford, Chevy Chase, John Travolta, Cameran Diaz, Florence Nightingale, Omar Sherif, Tony Curtis, Kate Moss to name a few.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 10 minutes by tram 

Visiting Hours: 9.00-21.00

Turkey’s first museum of modern and contemporary art shares Turkey’s artistic creativity and cultural identity with the art world, the museum hosts a broad array of interdisciplinary activities. The museum has moved to its temporary space in Beyoğlu, where it hosts all exhibitions and events until its new building in Karaköy is completed. The historical building in Beyoğlu, houses the museum’s collection and temporary exhibition halls, photography gallery, educational and social programs, library, cinema, cafe, and store.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 10 minutes by walking 

Visiting Hours: 10.00-18.00 except Mondays

Entrance Fee: 72 TRY

A fascinating mix of historic artefacts, traditional arts, important paintings and modern art can all be found in the superb Pera Musuem – a private museum in a stately 19th century building that was once the historic Hotel Bristol, designed by the architect, Achille Manoussos. It was founded by the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation, which also runs the Istanbul Research Institute next door.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 10 minutes by walking 

Visiting Hours: 10.00-18.00 except Mondays (Friday until 22:00)

Entrance Fee: 25 TRY

The Istanbul Archaeological Museums, a museum affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is located in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet neighborhood, on the Osman Hamdi Bey slope connecting the Gülhane Park with the Topkapı Palace. Its name is plural, since there are three different museums under the same administration: The Archaeological museum, the Ancient Orient museum (Eski Şark Eserleri Müzesi) and Tiled Kiosk Museum (Çinili Köşk Müzesi). One of the few buildings in the world built specifically as a museum, which hosts a vast array of ancient artifacts ranging from clay items to coins to huge sarcophaguses.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 10 minutes by tram

Visiting Hours:

Summer- 01 Apr-29 Sep 09:00 – 20:00 

(except Winter- 1 Oct-31 Apr 09:00- 18:00 Mondays)

Entrance Fee: 36 TRY

Beylerbeyi Palace was built in 1865 as a summer residence and a place to entertain visiting heads of state. Empress Eugénie of France visited Beylerbeyi on her way to the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and had her face slapped by the sultan’s mother for daring to enter the palace on the arm of Abdülaziz. Other regal visitors to the palace included the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. The palace was the last place of captivity of the deposed sultan Abdulhamid II from 1912 until his death there in 1918.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 40 minutes by taxi 

Visiting Hours: 9.00-16.00 every day except Mondays 

Entrance Fee: 40 TRY

The Chora Church is considered to be one of the most beautiful examples of a Byzantine church. The church is situated in the western, Edirnekapı district of Istanbul. In the 16th century, it was converted into a mosque by the Ottoman rulers, and it became a secularised museum in 1948. The interior of the building is covered with fine mosaics and frescoes.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 10-15 minutes by taxi 

Visiting Hours: Summer- 01 Apr-31 Oct 09.00 – 19.00 

(Except Winter- 01 Nov-31 Mar 09:00- 17:00 Mondays)

Entrance Fee: 54 TRY

Situated on the north side of the historic Golden Horn in Istanbul. The Museum is dedicated to the history of transport, industry, and communications. Thousands of items include full-size ships, vintage aircrafts, steam engines, submarines, agricultural machinery, and many more artefacts from İstanbul’s industrial past. The eclectic exhibits at the Museum are particularly popular with children, as there are opportunities to sit in a classic car, take a cruise on a 1936 steam tug, hop aboard a 1944 US naval submarine, and much more besides.

Distance from World House Boutique Hotel: 10 minutes by taxi 

Visiting Hours: Summer- 01 Apr-30 Sep 10.00 – 19.00 

(except Winter- 01 Oct-01 Apr 10:00- 17:00 Mondays)

Entrance Fee: 21 TRY

The Prince’s Islands are composed of nine islands off the Asian coast of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. There are regular passenger ferries and fast passenger ferries (sea bus) to the four of the islands from Kabatas and from Bostanci districts. Motor vehicles are not permitted on the islands except the ones belonging to local municipality for public works, so people walk or rent a bicycle or horse -drawn carriage, even a donkey. These are nice little islands where local people have their summer homes or go there for small beaches and for picnicking, or just to wonder around at the weekends. These four islands are known as Adalar (Islands) in general in Turkish and their names are Buyukada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, and Kinaliada. There is also Sedefadasi which is not as popular as the other ones and has very small settlement on it. There are no settlements on Hayirsizada, Sivriada and Yassiada; and Kasikada is a private island. The name of the islands come from the Byzantine period, when princes and empresses were exiled there. But during the Ottoman period, especially around 19th century with the use of steamboats, these islands became popular resorts for Istanbul’s rich people, building their wooden houses there. Jewish, Greek and Armenian communities were a large part of the inhabitants of the islands. Today, the islands are popular tourist destinations for daily excursions especially during summer months. Besides the Victorian style old wooden mansions, there are many monasteries and historic buildings on the islands.