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Blue Mosque vs Topkapi Palace
Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace are both recommended by writers. On balance, Topkapi Palace ranks slightly higher than Blue Mosque. Topkapi Palace is ranked #1 in Istanbul with recommendations from 9 reviewers such as Frommer's, Concierge and Afar Magazine.
Blue Mosque
Frommer's
Lonely Planet
Fodor's
Let's Go
Michelin Guide
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Sultanahmet, Istanbul 222, Turkey
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Frommer's
"This grand bubble of masonry, one of the great and defining features of Istanbul's skyline, was constructed between 1609 and 1617 by Sultan Ahmet I."
Full review
Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"With his eponymously named mosque, Sultan Ahmet I (r1603–17) set out to build a monument that would rival and even surpass the nearby Aya Sofya in grandeur and beauty."
Full review
Fodor's
"Only after you enter the Blue Mosque do you understand the name... this mosque feels gloriously airy and full of light."
Full review
Let's Go
"Intricately decorated with the blue Iznik porcelain tiles responsible for the mosque’s name, this mosque feels a bit like being inside a colossal blue china teapot."
Full review
Michelin Guide
3 Stars
"This jewel of the 17C has retained its vocation as a place of worship... the over-riding effect here is one of grace and solemnity."
Full review
Topkapi Palace
Fodor's
Concierge
Lonely Planet
Let's Go
Michelin Guide
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Babıhümayun Caddesi , Istanbul, Turkey
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Fodor's
"Few other royal residences match this hilltop compound when it comes to mystery, intrigue, and the lavish intricacies of court life."
Full review
Concierge
"If you're stuck for time, limit yourself to the main palace and the harem, the most intimate and personal rooms used by the sultans and their many, many women."
i
Avoid going on weekends or during peak periods of the day so you miss the busloads of people who move in flocks around the grounds in a veritable babel of chattering languages.
Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"This opulent palace complex is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world's royal residences put together."
Full review
Let's Go
"The views are luxurious, the buildings overwhelmingly crafted, and the treasures outrageous. "
Full review
Michelin Guide
3 Stars
"In the harem of Topkapi Palace visitors are plunged into a mythical Orient of a thousand and one treasures and as many fantasies."
Full review
i
Visit the unmissable Treasury and its masterpiece: a 250kg solid gold throne encrusted with diamonds and emeralds.
