3 Best Sights in Istanbul, Turkey

This large and fascinating museum boasts an extensive collection of swords, daggers, armor, and other weaponry, but it's not just for those interested in military history. Exhibits on the history of Turkic armies going back to the Huns, the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul, and more recent Turkish military engagements show the importance of military strength in shaping Ottoman history and modern Turkish society. Two gorgeously embroidered silk tents used by the Ottoman sultans on campaigns are particularly impressive. And don't miss the section of the great chain that the Byzantines stretched across the Golden Horn in 1453 during the Ottoman siege of the city. The highlight is the Mehter, or Janissary military band, which performs 17th- and 18th-century Ottoman military music in full period costume in a special auditorium at 3 pm when they're in town (most days when the museum is open). Watching this 55-member-strong ensemble, with their thunderous kettledrums and cymbals, will certainly give you an idea of why the Ottoman army was so feared in its day.

Founded in 1897 and located here since 1961, Istanbul's Naval Museum reopened in late 2013 with a new, state-of-the-art wing that impressively showcases its large collection of Ottoman-era boats and maritime paraphernalia. The multistory, hangar-like structure was built to house more than a dozen kayıks (caiques)—long, slim wooden boats rowed by oarsmen, that served as the primary mode of royal transportation in Istanbul for several hundred years. These graceful vessels are decorated with gorgeous painted patterns and intricate carvings and figureheads covered with gold leaf; most also have an equally ornate curtained wooden pavilion that was built for the sultan, his wife, or his mother. The underground level houses several exhibits of paintings, naval coats of arms, and other objects that give a good sense of the Ottoman Empire's onetime supremacy at sea. In the square just beside the museum are the tomb (usually locked) and a statue of Hayreddin Pasha, or "Barbarossa," the famous admiral of the empire's fleet in the Ottoman glory days of the early 16th century.

Nobel Prize–winning Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk's Museum of Innocence is one of the most unusual museums in Istanbul—and, perhaps, in the world. Opened in 2012 in the gentrifying Çukurcuma neighborhood in a former town house dating from the late 19th century, it's based on Pamuk's eponymous novel chronicling a decades-long story of unrequited love. On display are thousands of everyday objects, from vintage silverware and clothing to lottery tickets and matchbooks—obsessively "collected" over the years by the novel's main character—that portray daily life in Istanbul over the second half of the 20th century. The quirky, intimate museum is a must-see for anyone familiar with Pamuk's work or who is interested in Turkish social history, though some may find it esoteric. Audio tours available in English offer context.