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.
Black Sea
Museums in Samsun
3 museums and archaeological sites in the province of Samsun, with hours and what to see at each.
Samsun
Bafra Museum
A traditional house of 1858 on the Black Sea coast that pairs finds from the İkiztepe excavations with rooms recreating everyday Bafra life.
Visitor guide
Samsun
Gazi Museum
The former Mıntıka Palace in Samsun, where Atatürk stayed in May 1919 and on later visits, now a museum of his belongings and wax figures.
Visitor guide
Samsun
Samsun Museum
The archaeology and ethnography museum of Samsun, best known for the Amisos treasure of Hellenistic gold jewellery and a large coin collection.
Visitor guideIstanbul 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.