1. Home
  2. Turkey
  3. Istanbul
  4. History

Istanbul · History

From Byzantium to the Sublime Porte: fifteen centuries of power

In barely two kilometres, Sultanahmet sums up the story of three capitals: Greek Byzantium, Roman and Christian Constantinople, and Ottoman Istanbul. You'll walk along the track of a hippodrome, stand beside the stone from which every distance in the empire was measured, and pass the gates from which half the known world was governed.

  • 6 stops
  • 2 km
  • 1 h 45 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Hagia Sophia with its great dome, buttresses and four minarets

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 The Hippodrome and the Obelisk of TheodosiusWhere families now stroll and simit sellers call out, a hundred thousand spectators once roared for their charioteers, and one day a massacre took place.
  2. 2 The Milion, the empire's mile zeroAn almost invisible stump of stone marks the point from which every distance in the Byzantine Empire was measured.
  3. 3 Hagia Sophia, from basilica to mosqueFifteen centuries under one dome: imperial church, sultan's mosque, museum and mosque once more.
  4. 4 The Imperial Gate and the Fountain of Ahmed IIIThe entrance to Topkapı Palace, built by the Conqueror, and the most elegant fountain of Istanbul's Tulip Era.
  5. 5 The Sublime PorteA gate with a sweeping canopy that gave its name to an entire government and witnessed the coup of 1913.
  6. 6 Sirkeci StationThe end of the line for the Orient Express, an 1890 building that imagined the East through European eyes.

Loading the map…

Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

From Byzantium to the Sublime Porte: fifteen centuries of power

Layers of empire

Egyptian obelisks, Roman marble and Ottoman fountains share the same short walk.

Gates of power

The entrance to Topkapı Palace and the Sublime Porte, the name Europe gave to the Ottoman government.

All the way to the Orient Express

The walk ends at Sirkeci station, the end of the line for the world's most famous train.

Keep exploring

More routes in Istanbul

Back to Istanbul
Mysteries & legendsTalismans, Medusas and weeping columns EssentialsFrom the Blue Mosque to Galata Tower