Topkapı Palace
The sultans’ palace on Sarayburnu: courtyards, the Imperial Council, the treasury and the terraces over the water. Dated entry, sold online on its own site.
Southeastern Anatolia
Museums in Batman
2 museums and archaeological sites in the province of Batman, with hours and what to see at each.
Batman
Hasankeyf Museum and Archaeological Site
A museum for the finds rescued from the Tigris valley before the Ilısu Dam, tracing the region from Stone Age tools to the Ottoman era, beside the ancient town of Hasankeyf.
Visitor guide
Batman
Mehmet Cabir Alper Archaeology Museum
Batman's archaeology museum, with objects from the Ilısu Dam rescue digs, Hasankeyf finds and an open-air Museum Park where visitors can try excavation.
Visitor guideOther cities in the region
Istanbul tickets online
Four Istanbul landmarks, each sold on its own site by the agency behind this guide — dated entry and free cancellation up to 24 hours.
Basilica Cistern
Justinian’s great underground reservoir: 336 columns in still water and the two Medusa heads. Fast-track entry with a digital audio guide.
Hagia Sophia
Justinian’s cathedral, the sultans’ mosque and a working mosque again today. The ticket admits you to the upper visitor gallery.
Dolmabahçe Palace
A nineteenth-century palace on the water’s edge: the Selamlık, the Ceremonial Hall under its chandelier, the crystal staircase and the Harem.