Things to do in Istanbul include a wide range of spiritual and historic sites, art and culture, a vibrant culinary tradition, museums and incredible shopping to thrill anyone. The Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are two of the most popular spiritual sites, dating to the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.
The Topkapi Palace Museum offers documents, ephemera, artefacts and exhibits tracing the history of the city in a building dating to the Ottoman Era. The Grand Bazaar and Misir Çarşısı are seemingly endless labyrinths of covered markets, while the Basilica Cistern is a waterworks dating to 542 C.E.