While one of my best friends, Tim, was teaching in Istanbul, he asked me to take his class of high school students on some field trips to get to know their own city.
In the Fener neighborhood of Istanbul, up a steep hill from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, sits the Phanar Greek Orthodox College. Some call this regal red brick building the Red Castle. Others call it the Big Red School. To Greeks, it’s a symbol of a legacy they left on the city and the Ottoman Empire.
The Bucoleon Palace (Βουκολέων) was one of the Byzantine palaces of Constantinople. The ruins are located in a small park on the Marmara Sea in the Küçük Ayasofya neighborhood. It’s just a short walk east of the Little Hagia Sophia Mosque.
Want to get off the beaten path in Istanbul? A good option is Kumkapı. This neighborhood on the shores of the Marmara Sea isn’t usually on the tourist radar. There are no big name attractions, but it’s nice to explore for a couple hours.
Topkapı is a neighborhood in the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey. It sits along the Theodosian Walls and shouldn’t be confused with Topkapi Palace.
Cerrahpaşa is a neighborhood in the Fatih district of Istanbul, Turkey. It’s located between Aksaray and Samatya.
The Great Palace Mosaics Museum (Büyük Saray Mozaikleri Müzesi) in Istanbul displays mosaics unearthed at the site of the Great Palace of Constantinople. The museum is included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Historic Areas of Istanbul.
The famous Theodosian Walls of Constantinople (Θεοδοσιανά τείχη) protected the city for over 1,000 years. They run between the Zeytinburnu and Fatih districts of Istanbul.
Belgradkapı is a neighborhood in Istanbul, Turkey, that straddles the old Theodosian Walls of Constantinople. It’s located in both the Zeytinburnu and Fatih districts, and north of the Yedikule neighborhood.