What are some places to visit in Istanbul in one day?
Istanbul is a city with a rich history, natural beauty, and delicious cuisine that captivates visitors. There are so many places to see that if you want to visit them all in detail, you may need to spend months. Here is a small route suggestion that you can visit in just one day:
1- Perili Kosk (Haunted Mansion) :
The historic building known as Perili Kosk (Haunted Mansion) is actually called Yusuf Ziya Pasha Yalisi and is located in the Sarıyer district of Istanbul. The reason for the building’s nickname, Haunted Mansion, is due to its long construction period. The building, which is spread over an area of 5000 square meters and has nine floors, remained empty for decades. It was restored by Hakan Kiran between 1995 and 2000. Special bricks were brought from the United Kingdom for the restoration of this beautiful building.
Let’s take a look at why the construction of the mansion took so long. The construction of the mansion, which belonged to Yusuf Ziya Pasha, who served as the Chief of Staff at the time, began in the 1910s. Later, when World War I broke out, the workers who were building the mansion were drafted, and as a result, construction was left unfinished. The mansion, which remained unfinished for a long time, began to be called Haunted Mansion by the people.
The mansion, which was sold to contractor Basri Erdogan in 1993, was completed in the early 2000s, remaining true to its original form. Leased by Borusan Holding until the end of 2030, the mansion now hosts various exhibitions and is used as an office during the weekdays.
2- Sakip Sabanci Museum :
The mansion, built by Prince Mehmet Ali Hasan of the Egyptian Khedive family and later purchased by Haci Omer Sabanci in 1951, continues to host its visitors. It contains many exhibitions with rich painting and calligraphy collections.
The place is also known as the Horse Mansion due to the horse statue belonging to a French sculptor in front of the building. There is also a second horse statue in the garden. This statue is one of the four horses taken from Sultanahmet Square and looted during the Crusades.
After hosting painting and calligraphy collections for many years, the place was donated to Sabancı University by the Sabancı family in 1998 on the condition that it would be turned into a museum with its belongings and collections, and it was opened to visitors in 2002.
3- Japanese Garden :
After Turkey was declared the Year of Turkey in 2003 in Japan, Shimonoseki became a sister city to Istanbul. Later, a Japanese garden was created in Baltalimanı.
The designs and plants found in Japanese gardens are used in this garden. Inspired by the Bosphorus, an entrance gate to the garden was built in Shimonoseki, the sister city.
You can feel as if you are in a garden in Japan in this area, which is open from 09:00 to 19:30 in summer and from 09:00 to 16:30 in winter.
4 – Emirgan Grove :
With its views of the Bosphorus, mansions, and tulip gardens, Emirgan Grove is a wonderful place for those caught between the concrete jungle to take a breather. Particularly during the tulip festival in April, it hosts thousands of local and foreign tourists each year.
In addition to the three mansions where you can eat, there are also many tables for picnicking. You can exercise and enjoy the park by walking and jogging in the fresh air.
Emirgan Grove is also a historic grove. Its history dates back to the Byzantine period, and it has survived to the present day with various arrangements made during the Ottoman era.
5 – Aşk-ı Memnu House :
Aşk-ı Memnu (Forbidden Love) is a Turkish TV series that has great importance in the history of Turkish television. The mansion frequently shown in the series and known as the Ziyagil Mansion has become a subject of great curiosity.
Located in the Sarıyer district, the mansion, called the Aşk-ı Memnu Mansion, has been turned into a permanent exhibition by Vehbi Koç and is now known as the Vehbi Koç Büyükdere House.
The Vehbi Koç Büyükdere House is open to visitors free of charge every day except Wednesdays, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
6 – Tevfik Fikret House :
The house that Tevfik Fikret dreamed of throughout his life now hosts his personal belongings and valuable works of art. As the Aşiyan Museum, the museum fascinates every visitor and also holds the title of the first literature museum in Turkey.
The renowned poet lived in this magnificent three-story house from 1906 to 1915. It was purchased from Tevfik Fikret’s wife Nazime Hanım by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in 1940 and opened as a museum in 1945.
Tevfik Fikret’s tomb in Eyüp was moved to the Aşiyan garden upon the initiative of the Tevfik Fikret Association and in accordance with the poet’s will. After this transfer, the museum began to be known as the Aşiyan Museum.