Walled Obelisk
The Walled Obelisk at the south end of the Hippodrome: why it was built of rough stone, its lost gilded bronze plates, the 10th-century inscription and the 1204 looting.
370 m6 min walk
Sorted by distance from the hotel
Squares and monuments
14 places sorted by distance from Sareban Hotel: squares and monuments with history, visiting tips, walking time and directions from the hotel.
14 places
Serpent Column
The Serpent Column in the Hippodrome: the Greek victory at Plataea, the golden tripod at Delphi, the 31 city names on its coils and what happened to its heads.
420 m7 min walk
Obelisk of Theodosius
A 3,500-year-old Egyptian obelisk in the Hippodrome: Thutmose III's hieroglyphs, the carved Byzantine base, the story of its raising and what to look for.
450 m8 min walk
Hippodrome
The Hippodrome, now Sultanahmet Square: chariot races, the Nika riots, the four monuments on the square, how to read them and the short walk from our hotel.
510 m9 min walk
Column of Constantine
The porphyry column Constantine the Great raised in 330: the lost forum, the iron hoops, the legends beneath it and a quick stop on the way to the Grand Bazaar.
580 m10 min walk
German Fountain
The German Fountain in Sultanahmet Square: Kaiser Wilhelm II's 1898 visit, a fountain built in Germany and shipped in pieces, its gold mosaics and royal symbols.
620 m11 min walk
Beyazıt Square
Beyazıt Square guide: Roman triumphal arch ruins of the Forum of Theodosius, Istanbul University's grand gate and the 1828 fire-watch tower, plus directions.
1.0 km18 min walk
Ahırkapı Lighthouse
A working 19th-century lighthouse against Istanbul's Byzantine sea walls: the story of Ahırkapı Lighthouse, photo angles and the seaside walk from the hotel.
1.0 km18 min walk
Sirkeci Station
Sirkeci Station, the Istanbul terminus of the Orient Express: 1890 Orientalist architecture, stained-glass waiting hall and a small railway museum.
1.4 km24 min walk
Valens Aqueduct
The Valens Aqueduct, finished around AD 368, still spans a busy Istanbul boulevard. History, Ottoman repairs, the best photo angles and how to get there.
1.9 km32 min walk
Tünel
The historic Tünel funicular linking Karaköy and Beyoğlu since 1875: how it was built, what the ride is like, family tips and how to reach it from Sultanahmet.
2.3 kmToo far to walk comfortably
Galata Tower
Galata Tower from its Genoese origins to today: the 360-degree view, how to beat the queue, family tips and the easy tram ride from Sultanahmet.
2.5 kmToo far to walk comfortably
Taksim Square
Taksim Square explained: the water reservoir behind its name, the Republic Monument, the new AKM, Taksim Mosque, practical tips and the tram-funicular route.
3.9 kmToo far to walk comfortably
Haydarpaşa Station
The story of Haydarpaşa Station in Kadıköy: the Baghdad Railway, German architecture, fires, restoration and excavations, plus how to see it from Sultanahmet.
4.1 kmToo far to walk comfortably