The monuments and cultural events are spread throughout Istanbul, Many of these landmarks have gained wide popularity and become a destination for anyone visiting Istanbul. However, there are many landmarks that are overlooked by many who visit Istanbul, although they contain many features that characterize the city and chronicle stages of its life.
Here are some of these landmarks that must be visited by anyone traveling to Istanbul:

♦ Little Hagia Sophia mosque (Küçük Ayasofya Camii):
This mosque is a miniature version of Hagia Sophia,
This building during the Byzantine rule of Istanbul was a church called "The Church of Saints Sergius and Bakhos", and was converted into a mosque during the Ottoman rule of the city, while preserving its internal and external form.
The mosque is located in an area called (KumKapı) in the municipality of "Fatih" in Istanbul.

♦ Rüstem Paşa Mosque (Rüstem Paşa Camii):
This Grand Mosque was built by the great Ottoman architect (Mimar Sinan). It was named for "Rüstem Paşa", who served as the supreme minister during the reign of "Suleiman the Magnificent". He is also the husband of his daughter "Mihrimah sultan"
This mosque is characterized by distinctive motifs that cover its walls. These motifs vary widely to about 80 different styles, the entire ceramic was made in the town of "Iznik" (which also known by its ancient name Nicaea) in Bursa state , which is famous for this distinctive color of blue ceramic.
The mosque is located in a neighborhood called (Tahtakale) in the municipality of Fatih in Istanbul.

♦ Carpet Museum (Halı Müzesi) :
The carpet museum is located in a magnificent Baroque building, part of the Hagia Sophia complex.
The first hall of the museum houses an early-fashioned Anatolian carpets,which characterized by abstract geometric designs, The second hall includes carpets dating back to the 19th century, while the third showroom includes the most impressive carpets dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries and carpets from the blue mosque and the Mosque of Sulaymaniyah.

♦ Miniature park of Turkey (Miniatürk):
Miniatürk is a miniature park with the most famous landmarks of Turkey in the form of miniatures, as well as interpretations of historic structures.
Opened in 2003, this park covers an area of 60,000 square meters and is one of the largest miniature gardens in the world, It has 122 archeological sites in Turkey.
The park is located on the north-eastern side of the Golden Horn and is located in the municipality of Beyoğlu in Istanbul.

♦ (Madame Tussauds Istanbul):
This museum is one of the Madame Tussauds series of wax museums.
The museum has sculptures of wax for celebrities from all over the world, as well as sculptures of Turkish celebrities (politicians, artists, athletes ...).
This museum is considered a destination for many tourists who want to take Photos with celebrities, and It is located in Beyoğlu district ın Istanbul.

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• 10 points you have to read well before singing a property sales contract in Turkey

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• Turkish citizenship by buying a property .. conditions and documents required 

• Property taxes in Turkey

Turkish statistics agency revealed new figures relating to the high rate of foreign ownership of real estate in Turkey and the number of properties sold in Turkey during the year 2018.
According to the new statistics released on 16 January 2019 by the Turkish Statistics Agency, the number of properties sold in Turkey during the year 2018: 1,375,398 apartments, with an increase of 2.4 % compared to the same sales in 2017 .

Distribution of Turkey's real estate sales between cities :
Istanbul topped the list of the best-selling Turkish states with 235,055 apartments which is 17 % of the total real estate sales in 2018.
Ankara came second with 131,161 apartments, which is 9.5 % of total sales across Turkey.
The state of Izmir ranked third in the list of best-selling residential apartments, with 75,672 apartments, which is 5.5 % .

The most purchased nationalities in Turkey :
The proportion of foreign ownership of real estate within the sector sales of apartments in the year 2018 increased by 78.4 % , compared with sales in 2017.
According to statistics, the number of apartments sold to foreigners in 2018 is   39,663 apartments.
Iraqis have topped a list of foreigners who bought homes from Turkey. The number of homes sold to Iraqis reached 8,205, followed by Iranians with 3,625 apartments, Saudi Arabia third with 2,718 apartments.
While the Russians dissolved fourth with 2,297 apartments , and the Kuwaiti fifth with 2,199 apartments .

The ranking of the Turkish cities in the ownership of foreigners to the property :
The city of Istanbul was the top Turkish state in the foreign ownership of the property, with 14,270 apartments, followed by Antalya in second place with 7,938 apartments, and the third is Bursa with 2,720, and the capital Ankara fourth with 2,133 apartments.

 

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• 10 points you have to read well before singing a property sales contract in Turkey

• Can foreigners buy a property in Turkey ?

• How to buy a property in Turkey in 10 steps ? 

• Turkish citizenship by buying a property .. conditions and documents required 

• Property taxes in Turkey

Since 1939, Turkey and Syria have had problems with the property and elsewhere. And because Syria has taken possession of the property of Turkish citizens, denied them the right to dispose of them, and prevented them from mortgage or access to legal rights in this area. Turkey has reciprocated Syria and prevented all Syrians from buying the property in Turkey.

How can Syrians own a real estate in Turkey ?

♦ The Syrian citizen has another nationality and the property is registered in his name but on his other nationality and not the Syrian nationality in the event that there are no other laws imposed on the country that gave the Syrian nationality

♦ The Syrian shall establish a company that meets the general criteria, enabling it to register the property on the company's name, not on its own name, provided that the purchase of the property for use within the company's activities

On 28/05/1927, Turkey promulgated the Law No. 1062, which set limits for Syrian citizens in Turkey, in order to reciprocate the decisions taken by Syria regarding the Turkish citizens. Turkey did so in order to protect the rights of Turkish legal citizens in Syria , And to protect their property. As a result of this decision, Syrian citizens are not entitled to own property in Turkey.

Read Also : 

• 10 points you have to read well before singing a property sales contract in Turkey

• Can foreigners buy a property in Turkey ?

• How to buy a property in Turkey in 10 steps ? 

• Turkish citizenship by buying a property .. conditions and documents required 

• Property taxes in Turkey

The Turkish Official newspaper published, the text of the law amending the terms of granting Turkish nationality to foreigners in exchange for buying property, operation, investment and deposit in Turkish banks.
According to the new law, a foreigner can acquire Turkish nationality if he buys a property or many properties worth more than $250k, instead of the previous value of $1m, provided that the property is not sold within 3 years.
In another amendment, the requirement to deposit a sum of money in Turkish banks in exchange for citizenship has been amended. The condition stipulates the deposit of $ 500,000 from $ 3 million in the previous law.
Another amendment provided for a reduction in the value of fixed investment in exchange for citizenship, as the capital required for this investment was reduced from $ 2 million to $ 500,000.
In addition, the entrepreneur, who provides employment opportunities for 50 Turkish citizens, has been able to obtain Turkish citizenship, having previously been required to employ 100 citizens.

In case you have any questions about investing in real estate in Turkey to get Turkish citizenship Please contact us.

Read Also : 

• 10 points you have to read well before singing a property sales contract in Turkey

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• Turkish citizenship by buying a property .. conditions and documents required 

• Property taxes in Turkey

Istanbul is administratively divided into 39 districts or (local municipalities) combined by one administrative body, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (Istanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi)
These districts cover an area of 5,343 square kilometers, which constitutes the total land area of Istanbul.
This vast area makes Istanbul a city with no specific center, but Istanbul's tourist center (which can be considered the center of the city) is the areas on the southern banks of the Bosphorus, which include most of the city's monuments.

Each part of Istanbul has characteristics that distinguish it from other areas. Some distict are located near the coast, others are inland high above sea levell, and some are including dense forests (such as the Belgrade forests of the disteict of Sarıyer)
Recently, with Turkey's construction Sector booming over the past years, investments had moved to new areas in Istanbul that have not been of interest previously, but are now a magnet for both those wishing to invest in real estate and those wishing to live in Istanbul
One of the most important of these modern municipalities is the district of (Başakşehir) this municipality has many features that give it added value and make it a magnet for real estate investors.

The following is a brief description of the area of (Başakşehir) in general, and the features available in it:
• The area of Başakşehir is 107 square kilometers, rises from the sea surface 110 meters, and consisting of 11 neighborhood.
• Located in the western central part of Istanbul (European side), and is 27 km from Taksim Square
• Başakşehir is located to the north of the municipalities (Küçükçekmece, Avcılar and Esenyurt) and is separated from these municipalities by the international highway (E80). It is also bordered on the north by the municipality of Arnavutköy, and from the east by the municipalities of Sultangazi and Esenler.

The following link shows the location and borders of the municipality:  Click Here

The most important mega projects located in Başakşehir:
♦ The new Istanbul Canal Project, which scheduled to open in 2023, and will connect the Black Sea in the north with the Sea of Marmara in the south.
this canal will pass through Başakşehir, which will give a high advantage to the properties located on both sides of the canal.

♦ The largest botanical garden in Europe (Başakşehir Millet Bahçesi - National Park), one of the five national parks recently opened in different parts of Istanbul. These gardens are part of the 33 National Parks Project which will be opened in succession throughout Turkey.

♦ The largest hospital in Europe (Başakşehir Şehir Hastanesi) is one of the largest treatment centers in Europe and will be ready to receive patients from the beginning of 2020 with a total capacity of 2,700 beds.

♦ Başakşehir is considered the closest regulatory area (to date) to Istanbul Airport, which will be the largest airport in the world when construction is completed, Başakşehir is 28 km from the airport.


Advantages of living in Başakşehir:
This area has many advantages that make it a favorite choice for many who wish to live in Istanbul:
• Spread of gardens and water bodies extensively.
• Wide and clean streets.
• the New constructions in the region: Başakşehir hosts many large and distinctive residential projects, and the region is now considered a destination for largest construction companies in turkey.
• The strong and modern infrastructure that provides the residents of the region with high quality services (Water, electricity, gas and Internet networks are entirely new).
• Transportation: The metro line (M3) is Passing from başakşehir , which connects the area withe the line (M1) Which reaches the station of (YeniKapı) , and upon completion of construction (M3) line will connect the area to Istanbul airport.

To view the metro network of Istanbul in the following link:  Click here

In addition of considering the area of Başakşehir is suitable for housing, but it is also suitable for investment, as the region is achieving a steady rise in property prices annually, the property price over the past three years increased by 14.9%.

Finally, on the sidelines of the topic we would like to point out that the city is the seat of one of the most powerful sports clubs in Turkey, which is (Istanbul Başakşehir), which is currently ranked second in the ranking of the general league in Turkey (Süper Lig).

Here are some of our portfolio about apartments for sale in Basaksehir : 

Apartments For Sale In Basaksehir Istanbul 

Turkey is one of the most important tourist destinations in the world, According to a previous statement by the Turkish Minister of Tourism (Mehmet Ersoy), the number of foreign tourists during the year 2018 exceeded 40 million tourists, and the Turkish government continues to strengthen the tourism sector, which aims to attract 48 million tourists in 2019.

The Turkish government is also working to strengthen the cyber services for all visitors, and provide these services in several languages to reach the largest number of visitors.

And as it’s known, Istanbul is one of the most attractive Turkish states, So Here are some important links for anyone who wants to visit Istanbul:

1- Website of the General Directorate of State Airports (Devlet Hava Meydanları İşletmesi Genel Müdürlüğü)
The site includes all information about government airports in all Turkish states. It also includes a list of all incoming and outgoing flights to all airports. The site is available in Turkish and English.
Website link:
www.dhmi.gov.tr 


2- The Directorate of Culture and Tourism in Istanbul (İstanbul İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü):
The site includes many options on everything related to Istanbul's tourist and cultural sites and events, the most famous archaeological sites, libraries, theaters, museums ... and many other tourist destinations with a description of these sites and how to access them. The site is available in Turkish and English.
Website  Link:
www.istanbulkulturturizm.gov.tr

3- Metro İstanbul:
Istanbul has one of the largest land transport networks in the world. The network covers all parts of Istanbul via different transport lines (metro, tramway, Marmara line, metrobüs  line, cable car).
This site will help you, through a high-resolution map, to know the directions of all the land transport lines in Istanbul with the starting and arrival dates from and to the stations.
Website link:
www.metro.istanbul
 
4- Istanbul Maritime Bus Site (ido):
Istanbul is a city surrounded by water bodies from all directions, and it is a great idea to navigate between different areas by bus (Deniz Otobüsleri), so you will save time away from traffic, also sightseeing on the surrounding banks.
You can find out the dates of trips in all stations and the cost of each trip. The site is available in Turkish and English.
Website link:
www.ido.com.tr

5- TÜYAP Exhibition City:
Your visit to Turkey during the summer vacation may be a good opportunity to attend some exhibitions during the visit.
TÜYAP is one of the largest companies specialized in organizing international exhibitions in Turkey, exhibitions in various fields and throughout the year.
The site includes a schedule of exhibition dates and is available in Turkish and English
Website link:
tuyap.com.tr


These were some of the links that might benefit the tourist in Istanbul, and certainly there are many other useful sites.
In conclusion, we wish you a happy holiday in Istanbul .

 

Read Also : 

• 10 points you have to read well before singing a property sales contract in Turkey

• Can foreigners buy a property in Turkey ?

• How to buy a property in Turkey in 10 steps ? 

• Turkish citizenship by buying a property .. conditions and documents required 

• Property taxes in Turkey

On 30/5/2019 The Turkish official Gazette published new amendments regarding the acquisition of Turkish citizenship through real estate investment.

Under the latter amendments, the properties that were repaid before 19/09/2018 and the acquisition of their title deed after the said date have now become possible for the acquisition of Turkish nationality. Where under the previous amendments all payments made before 19/09/2018 where not acceptable.
With this amendment, many foreign nationals have the opportunity to benefit from the investments they made on previous dates.
The foreign investor will acquire the right to apply for Turkish citizenship through the property that he began to pay after 12/01/2017 and received its title after 19/09/2018.

The new amendment removed the requirement to present a bank receipt within the application for citizenship if the property is purchased from joint companies with the public sector such as "TOKİ" and "Emlak Konut", which means investors who buy real estate from such companies will not be forced to prove their payments by bank receipts. However, the requirement for proof of payment by bank receipts remains in effect in the purchase of real estate from private companies or persons.

Investors who bought a $ 1 million property as of 12/01/2017 are not required to prove their payments through bank receipts. This advantage applies even if the property is purchased from real persons or private companies.


The exchange rate of the lira against the dollar is one of the most important amendments. In order to acquire citizenship and complete the application positively, the terms of the exchange rate of the lira against the dollar must be met on payment dates, bank receipts, property valuation reports, delivery dates of the property document and dates of application for citizenship.

The recent amendments did not touch the issue of buying Syrian citizens did not address real estate in Turkey. Where a law must be passed by the parliament or a decree from the presidency to allow the Syrians to buy the property. Although the preparations are ready for the Government in this regard, but have not yet been codified.


 

Read Also : 

• 10 points you have to read well before singing a property sales contract in Turkey

• Can foreigners buy a property in Turkey ?

• How to buy a property in Turkey in 10 steps ? 

• Turkish citizenship by buying a property .. conditions and documents required 

• Property taxes in Turkey