Turistler icin Istanbul

Ege’s favorites recommendations to friends going to Istanbul

- Sultanahmet district (the Historical Peninsula) where the Hagia Sophia, the Topkapi Palace (including the Archaeology Museum), the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque, the underground Yerebatan Cistern, the Grand Bazaar etc are located. Very touristy but a must for a first-time visitor.
There are nice hotels near Sultanahmet, the area where most of these sites are, and also good bargains and great views from upper floors.
- Eminonu, where the Egyptian Market is located, and from where the tram takes you to Sultanahmet, and where you can get to by walking over the Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn from Karakoy
- the Fener and Balat districts along the Golden Horn, close to Eminonu. Wooden houses, old neighborhoods.

- Istiklal Street, off Taksim Square in Beyoglu, is a pedestrian shopping axis with many cafes, shops, buzzing with activity, takes you to Galatasaray and Tunel areas, from where you can go to Galata.
Lots of hotels in the district around Taksim Square, where there are business hotels, a couple of high-end hotels, but also quite good bargains. 
The Taksim area is great for tourists, lots of walking, the pedestrian main axis of Istiklal Street, with shopping, historic houses, cultural life, etc. It's frequented a lot by locals, so not just touristy either. 
Hotel recommendation: Lush Hotel at Taksim, Marmara Pera in Tepebasi near Pera Museum

- Galata district and Galata tower, nice cafes and restaurants around there such as Cezayir, Enginar, etc.
Konak Pastanesi (Konak Patisserie) in Galata is somewhere with a great terrace, great Sunday brunches.. you can combine it with the dervish visit..
the whirling dervishes have a ceremony open to the public every sunday (i think 3pm?) in the Galata Mevlevihanesi. 

- Tunel, which is an extension of Istiklal Caddesi, goes down to the sea
- Eat at one of the restaurants on Nevizade Street or Cicek Pasaji, off Istiklal, with meze and fish

- Istanbul Modern, art museum converted from warehouses in Karakoy, right next to that some shisha places in Tophane, down from Galata, Kabatas Ferry pier is also there

- The Dolmabahce Palace near Inonu Stadium (home of the Besiktas football club)

- Besiktas, very central old business area, with fish restaurants, a major ferry terminal, and newly restored Akaretler shopping district
- Nisantasi, posh shopping district with high-end boutiques and restaurants

- Take a ferry from Kabatas to the Princes' Islands, get off at Buyuk Ada (Prinkipo Nissa), where cars are not allowed and you can take a horse buggy to the Aya Nikola Monastery at the top. Taking a ferry alongthe Bosphorus is a treat by itself..
- Take a ferry across the Bosphorus, watch the seagulls fly beside you..drink some tea and eat a simit on the ferry..

- Princes' Islands, via ferry from Bostanci on the Asian side, pedestrian zone, old beautiful houses on the hills..