Bharat SainiLast Updated on August 24, 2014 by Bharat Saini
If you are visiting Turkey in the near future and you have already booked into one of the best Istanbul hotels, all that remains is to ensure you know about some of the great sights the city has in store for you If you’re visiting with the family – perhaps with some younger kids in tow – you should add the following sights to your itinerary. Here are three top family friendly places to visit in the city.
Emirgan Park
This park is visually stunning and is well within easy reach of many of the best Istanbul hotels; it can also give you a break from the hustle and bustle the city is famous for The park has the distinction of being among the biggest the city has to offer, and it has been around in one form or another for several centuries. There are well over a hundred acres to explore and, with picnic areas included, you’ll see plenty of locals here as well as tourists enjoying the sights and sounds of this lovely public park. Be sure to seek out the three pavilions, each of which is named after the color they are painted.
Miniaturk
This is a theme park of sorts, and it displays more than 100 miniature structures. Approximately half of these can be seen for real in Istanbul itself, so if you visit Miniaturk very early on you may be able to plan the rest of your itinerary from here! The park also contains models of some other famous buildings and structures, including the Temple of Artemis. You can also see Damascus Station, complete with a train outside and people waiting at the platform.
The Basilica Cistern
Beneath the city there is a network of cisterns that date back many hundreds of years. It is quite a sobering thought to imagine these cisterns existing – as they have for centuries – beneath you as you sleep in the best hotels in Istanbul. The Basilica Cistern is the biggest and arguably the most famous of all those in existence today, and is supported by no fewer than 336 columns. If you visit the cistern take note of the columns that, famously, have the head of Medusa as one of their blocks.
The Grand Bazaar
It may sound dramatic to call this bazaar grand, but indeed that is exactly what it is When you leave your accommodation in one of the best hotels in Istanbul for a trip to the Grand Bazaar, get ready for an incredible experience you will not easily forget. The bazaar comprises more than sixty streets and thousands of shops to explore. It would be impossible to see everything in a day, so plan to spend at least a couple of days wandering the maze of streets here.
TurkuaZoo
You may think you can guess what this is from the name – but you may not be right. It’s not actually a zoo; rather, it is an aquarium, and it provides a wonderful day out for every member of the family to enjoy. It is the first aquarium of its kind in the country, not just Istanbul, so is becoming rightly famous. Head out from your choice of the best Istanbul hotels any day of the week to pay a visit to TurkuaZoo – the opening hours are always the same unless there is a special event on You can see thousands of different creatures here, not to mention being able to walk through the underwater tunnel to watch sharks and other creatures swimming around you The children will love this wonderful attraction, and so will you.
Miniaturk
We’ve all seen miniature parks of one kind or another during our lives, but how would you react to seeing this charming example of an entire miniature country? It’s well worth making the trip to see it and the children will love the many models that have been perfectly represented here. Look out for miniature versions of the Hagia Sophia, the Temple of Artemis, Damascus Station and Aspendos. This is a fascinating history lesson children simply won’t be able to resist.
Victoria Andrea’s Author bio
Victoria Andrea lives in Bristol, UK and is an avid reader and blogger. Since her early years she’s had a passion for writing. Her articles have been published in leading UK newspapers. Her areas of interest are Travel, Fashion, Lifestyle, Food, Reviews (Book/Movie), Fitness and Health. She works as a guest blogger on her chosen areas of interest and currently writes on behalf of Turkey visa which helps you in visa assistance service.
Emirgan Park
This park is visually stunning and is well within easy reach of many of the best Istanbul hotels; it can also give you a break from the hustle and bustle the city is famous for The park has the distinction of being among the biggest the city has to offer, and it has been around in one form or another for several centuries. There are well over a hundred acres to explore and, with picnic areas included, you’ll see plenty of locals here as well as tourists enjoying the sights and sounds of this lovely public park. Be sure to seek out the three pavilions, each of which is named after the color they are painted.
Miniaturk
This is a theme park of sorts, and it displays more than 100 miniature structures. Approximately half of these can be seen for real in Istanbul itself, so if you visit Miniaturk very early on you may be able to plan the rest of your itinerary from here! The park also contains models of some other famous buildings and structures, including the Temple of Artemis. You can also see Damascus Station, complete with a train outside and people waiting at the platform.
The Basilica Cistern
Beneath the city there is a network of cisterns that date back many hundreds of years. It is quite a sobering thought to imagine these cisterns existing – as they have for centuries – beneath you as you sleep in the best hotels in Istanbul. The Basilica Cistern is the biggest and arguably the most famous of all those in existence today, and is supported by no fewer than 336 columns. If you visit the cistern take note of the columns that, famously, have the head of Medusa as one of their blocks.
The Grand Bazaar
It may sound dramatic to call this bazaar grand, but indeed that is exactly what it is When you leave your accommodation in one of the best hotels in Istanbul for a trip to the Grand Bazaar, get ready for an incredible experience you will not easily forget. The bazaar comprises more than sixty streets and thousands of shops to explore. It would be impossible to see everything in a day, so plan to spend at least a couple of days wandering the maze of streets here.
TurkuaZoo
You may think you can guess what this is from the name – but you may not be right. It’s not actually a zoo; rather, it is an aquarium, and it provides a wonderful day out for every member of the family to enjoy. It is the first aquarium of its kind in the country, not just Istanbul, so is becoming rightly famous. Head out from your choice of the best Istanbul hotels any day of the week to pay a visit to TurkuaZoo – the opening hours are always the same unless there is a special event on You can see thousands of different creatures here, not to mention being able to walk through the underwater tunnel to watch sharks and other creatures swimming around you The children will love this wonderful attraction, and so will you.
Miniaturk
We’ve all seen miniature parks of one kind or another during our lives, but how would you react to seeing this charming example of an entire miniature country? It’s well worth making the trip to see it and the children will love the many models that have been perfectly represented here. Look out for miniature versions of the Hagia Sophia, the Temple of Artemis, Damascus Station and Aspendos. This is a fascinating history lesson children simply won’t be able to resist.
Victoria Andrea’s Author bio
Victoria Andrea lives in Bristol, UK and is an avid reader and blogger. Since her early years she’s had a passion for writing. Her articles have been published in leading UK newspapers. Her areas of interest are Travel, Fashion, Lifestyle, Food, Reviews (Book/Movie), Fitness and Health. She works as a guest blogger on her chosen areas of interest and currently writes on behalf of Turkey visa which helps you in visa assistance service.
