Everyone has seen Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. These are places from my saved lists that fewer people get to: churches in Beyoğlu, mosques without the queues, the Byzantine walls, parks and the Asian side. Where I have a note of my own, it comes first; the rest is put together from Google Maps reviews. Museums and galleries have their own article: museums in Istanbul beyond Sultanahmet.
Opening hours are Google's, valid as of 30 September 2026. Google has no ticket prices; mosques, churches and parks are free to enter. Rate: 1 ₺ ≈ $0.020.
In short
- The great mosque instead of Sultanahmet: Süleymaniye, by Mimar Sinan, with gardens and a view over the Golden Horn.
- Two churches on one Beyoğlu walk: the Greek Hagia Triada by Taksim and the Anglican Crimean Memorial Church near Galata.
- Quiet in the middle of İstiklal: the Catholic Church of Saint Anthony of Padua.
- The Asian side: Kuzguncuk, with its colourful wooden houses and a neighbourhood vegetable garden.
- Half a day of green: Yıldız Park on its hill by the Bosphorus.
Churches, mosques and walls
Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church
Taksim · Greek Orthodox church · Mon–Sat 9:00–18:00, Sun 9:00–13:00
Google Maps · Katip Mustafa Çelebi, by Taksim Square
A very beautiful Greek church.
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 1,500+): a large dome ringed with tall windows, stained glass and painted ceilings, a stone's throw from Taksim Square. No photos inside; at Easter the church fills with Greeks.
Crimean Memorial Church
Galata · Anglican church
Google Maps · Facebook · Serdar-ı Ekrem Cd. No:52
A beautiful Anglican church.
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 1,000+): a small church that looks lifted from an English village, full of candles and very calm inside. It hosts classical music concerts, and Sunday services are at 9:00, 11:00 and 13:00.
Suleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye · 16th-century mosque · daily 8:30–20:30
Google Maps · website · Prof. Dr. Sıddık Sami Onar Cd. No:1
According to Google Maps reviews (4.9 from 67,000+): Mimar Sinan's masterpiece, built for Suleiman the Magnificent in 1550–1557, is a whole complex with gardens and a viewpoint over the Golden Horn. Suleiman and Hürrem are buried here. Inside it's spacious and quiet; reviewers suggest coming by tram or metro rather than by car.
Molla Zeyrek Mosque
Zeyrek · Byzantine church turned mosque · open 24 hours
Google Maps · İbadethane Sk. No:2
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 3,100+): the 12th-century Pantokrator monastery, a fine example of medieval Byzantine architecture, later converted into a mosque. It's an uphill walk, but the neighbourhood around it is lively, with kids playing football and cafés open. Mosaics are said to survive under the carpets in the men's section.
Suadiye Mosque
Suadiye · early 20th-century mosque · daily 5:30–20:00
Google Maps · website · Suadiye Camii Sk. No:5
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 490+): a 1905 mosque on the Asian side, especially beautiful inside, with coloured tiles and old finishes. Clean and peaceful, with a large resting area outside; the upper floor is for women.
Yedikule Kapısı
Yedikule · gate in the Byzantine walls
Google Maps · Yedikule Cd.
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 100+): the Golden Gate, the grandest entrance in the Theodosian Walls, where triumphal processions entered the city, next to Yedikule Fortress. It's a fair way from the old centre and not well looked after: a bit dirty and surrounded by parked cars.
Church of Saint Anthony of Padua
Beyoğlu · Catholic church · daily 8:00–19:00
Google Maps · website · İstiklal Cd. No:171
The Italian church, right on İstiklal.
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 16,000+): an early-20th-century neo-Gothic Catholic church where you step in from the İstiklal crowds straight into quiet. You can walk into the courtyard to see the architecture; masses are held in several languages, including Italian and Turkish, with the organ.
Parks and Kuzguncuk
Yıldız Park
Beşiktaş · park · Mon 8:00–20:00, Tue–Thu 8:00–21:00, Fri open 24 hours, Sat–Sun 8:00–22:00
Google Maps · Çırağan Cd.
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 36,000+): a big green park on the hill above the Bosphorus, next to Yıldız Palace. Shady paths, a pond with ducks and geese, and cafés serving Turkish tea: people come here to escape the city for half a day.
Validebag Park
Altunizade · park · open 24 hours
Google Maps · Altunizade, Üsküdar
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 210): one of the few large green spaces on the Asian side, with plum and mastic trees, fresh air and quiet paths for walking. Almost all the reviews are in Turkish: this is a park for locals.
Kuzguncuk Evleri
Kuzguncuk · street of colourful houses
Google Maps · Üryanizade Sk. No:25
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 3,300+): streets of colourful wooden houses, small shops and cafés, with a Bosphorus view at the end; reviewers suggest starting the walk at Fethi Paşa park. Cafés here cost more than in neighbouring Üsküdar, and weekends are busy.
Kuzguncuk Bostanı
Kuzguncuk · community vegetable garden
Google Maps · Bostan Sk. No:4
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 2,800+): an old market garden in the middle of the neighbourhood, with beds tended by residents, paths between them, cats, and a row of pretty houses at the far end. Seasonal fruit and vegetables are sold cheaply, and the Hıdırellez spring festival is celebrated here. The paths could use some repair.
One last thing
Visit mosques outside prayer times; Friday noon is the main prayer of the week, so plan Süleymaniye and Molla Zeyrek for the morning or another day. Women need a headscarf, and everyone should cover shoulders and knees. Save Kuzguncuk for a weekday: it gets crowded at weekends.
More on Istanbul: museums and art spaces.