Istanbul Biennial is a contemporary art exhibition held every two years in Istanbul. font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"1987, Biennale organized by Istanbul Culture and Arts FoundationSince its establishment. The Biennial aims to create a meeting point in Istanbul for the fields of Visual Artsand an exchange between artists and audiences from different cultures. 
The 18th Istanbul Biennial will run from 2025 to 2027 and will be divided into three parts: the first part will be held from September 20 to November 23, 2025, with exhibitions and public programs at its core. The second part, to be held in 2026, will involve collaboration with local arts projects, a permanent educational program and quarterly public events.The final part will take place from 18 September to 14 November 2027 and will include a series of exhibitions, publications, performances and discussions. 
Details of the 2026 and 2027 programmes will be announced in the coming months. 

Istanbul

Türkiye

Searching for information and tickets regarding 18th Istanbul Biennial | Istanbul taking place in Istanbul on 2025年9月20日–11月23日 (UTC+3)? Trip.com has you covered. Check the dates, itineraries, and other information about 18th Istanbul Biennial | Istanbul now! Trip.com has also prepared more similar exciting activities and discounted flight and hotel packages.

18th Istanbul Biennial | Istanbul: Tickets, Dates & Itineraries | Trip.com

18th Istanbul Biennial | Istanbul

18th Istanbul Biennial

18th Istanbul Biennial | Trip.com

null | Trip.com

Spread the word! Share your result with friends and discover their opinions!

Specialty exhibition halls

Exhibitions

Mandarin Oriental Istanbul

Near Ciragan Palace Kempinski|Besiktas, Istanbul

Luxury Hotels

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet

Near Hagia Sophia|Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Istanbul

Instagrammable Hotels

Hagia Sophia

Immediate access

Book now for today

Best Things to Do

M43***18

Sant Sophia Cathedral Attraction Review &zwnj; Historical and Cultural Value &zwnj;&zwnj; Architectural Status &zwnj;: Sant Sophia Cathedral (Hagia Sophia) is a representative work of Byzantine architecture, combining Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman elements, with an iconic dome, once one of the largest churches in the medieval world &zwnj; 12. &zwnj; Religious Change &zwnj;: Originally an Orthodox Cathedral (537), it was changed to a mosque after 1453, became a museum in 1935, and it was restored to a mosque again in 2020, but it is still open to visit, symbolizing the blend of culture and historical change. &zwnj; Naming origin &zwnj;: Bulgaria&#39;s capital Sofia is named for the church, its history dates back to the 6th century AD, and the existing main hall and towers were built during the Byzantine period. &zwnj; Architectural characteristics and interior landscape &zwnj;&zwnj; appearance &zwnj;: Typical mosque domes and minarets, there are clean wash pavilions and carved stone pillars at the entrance &zwnj; 2. &zwnj; Central Hall &zwnj;: Multicolor marble floor and wall, dome retain Byzantine murals, hanging giant Arabic gold disc (written name) &zwnj; 2. &zwnj; Special area &zwnj;: &zwnj; Emperor Gate &zwnj;: The front hall is 9 doors, and the middle door is only for the emperor to use &zwnj; 2. &zwnj; Second Floor Corridor &zwnj;: Spiral passage is accessible, once a noble worship area &zwnj; 2. &zwnj; Cave &zwnj;: Additional fees are required to visit, including early Christian mosaic decoration and ancient tomb &zwnj; 3. &zwnj; Tourist experience and evaluation &zwnj;&zwnj; Highlights &zwnj;: The building is magnificent, the dome and murals are shocking, and the lighting effect at night is excellent &zwnj; 12. The cultural and historical heritage is deep, suitable for visiting &zwnj; 13 after understanding the background in advance. &zwnj; Insufficient &zwnj;: During the repair period, it may appear messy, and the ticket price is high &zwnj; 1. The tourists are dense and the commercialization is heavy. Some areas will be charged an additional fee &zwnj; 13. &zwnj; Practical information &zwnj;&zwnj; location &zwnj;: Istanbul, Turkey, across the street from the Blue Mosque &zwnj; 2. &zwnj; Suggestion &zwnj;: Combining historical guides or audio explanations, you can understand its artistic and religious significance in more depth. As a world heritage site, the Cathedral of Saint Sophia is a cultural landmark that cannot be missed from the perspective of architecture, history and religion, but it is necessary to weigh the experience of tourists and personal interests.

Basilica Cistern

Historic buildings

Comprehensive review of Istanbul Basilica Cistern
&zwnj;History and architectural features&zwnj;
&zwnj;Scale and function&zwnj;:
The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) is a giant underground reservoir built in the Byzantine period (6th century). It is 140 meters long and 70 meters wide, with an area equivalent to a standard football field. It has a water storage capacity of 80,000-100,000 tons. It once supplied water to the palace and surrounding areas and had military defense functions&zwnj;12.
336 9-meter-high stone columns support the vault. Most of the columns were transported from temples in Anatolia. The capitals are carved in different styles (such as Corinthian and Doric), showing the wisdom of ancient architecture&zwnj;23.
&zwnj;Mysterious elements&zwnj;:
&zwnj;Tear column&zwnj;: A stone column engraved with teardrop patterns, which is said to commemorate the slaves who died during the construction&zwnj;23.
&zwnj;Medusa head&zwnj;: The head of the Gorgon inverted and sideways at the bottom of the pool, the origin of which is a mystery, may be a symbol of warding off evil or deterring the enemy&zwnj;23. &zwnj;Cultural influence&zwnj;:
Many movies (such as &quot;Skyfall&quot;, &quot;The Spy Who Came to the City&quot;, and &quot;The Dante Code&quot;) were filmed here, adding to its mysterious color&zwnj;12.
&zwnj;Visiting experience&zwnj;
&zwnj;Highlights&zwnj;:
The underground space is magnificent and shocking, and the lights and water reflections create a dreamy atmosphere, suitable for photography and history enthusiasts&zwnj;23.
It is adjacent to Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, and can be visited in series&zwnj;12.
&zwnj;Controversial points&zwnj;:
&zwnj;Ticket price&zwnj;: The ticket price for foreign tourists is about 130 yuan, which is much higher than that for local residents (about 1/5 of the price), and the cost-effectiveness is questioned&zwnj;4.
&zwnj;Visiting time&zwnj;: The whole journey takes about 15 minutes. Some tourists think that the content is thin and only supported by lighting effects and a small number of relics&zwnj;4.
&zwnj;Hidden entrance&zwnj;: The entrance sign is not obvious, and you need to be patient to find it&zwnj;24.
&zwnj;Suggestions&zwnj;
&zwnj;Recommended crowd&zwnj;: Tourists who are interested in history, architecture or movie locations; if there is plenty of time and the budget allows, you can plan it in combination with surrounding attractions&zwnj;12. &zwnj;Tips for avoiding pitfalls&zwnj;: Check the ticket price policy in advance to lower your psychological expectations; choose non-peak hours to avoid crowds&zwnj;4.
&zwnj;Summary&zwnj;: The Basilica Cistern is Istanbul&#39;s unique &quot;underground miracle&quot;. Its historical value and mystery are worth exploring, but you need to weigh the ticket cost against your personal interests&zwnj;12.

Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul

Raffles Istanbul

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus

Scenic Hotels

Bosphorus

Beaches and shores

Night view

M25***87

The sunset view of the Bosphorus is very beautiful. It is recommended to go to the Emin&ouml;n&uuml; pier to take the turyol company cruise. Be sure to buy the sunset ticket 2 hours before sunset, then go to the nearby restaurants to enjoy the food and wait. The most basic pure tour is about 90 minutes, the boat fee is 150 lira (about 30), On board, there is no performance, no explanation, no food and drink, the boat is average. In fact, the most important thing is to take pictures and enjoy the sunset. There are many places of interest along the coast. You must not miss the Suleimaniyah Mosque and Dorma Bakhche Palace.

Topkapi Palace

Book now for tomorrow

As an iconic attraction in Istanbul, Topkapi Palace combines the glorious history and artistic essence of the Ottoman Empire. The following comprehensive comments are for reference: 
&zwnj;History and Cultural Value&zwnj;
Topkapi Palace was the power center of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 500 years (1465-1853). It was home to 25 sultans. It is now the largest museum in Turkey. It houses countless national treasures, Islamic relics and royal treasures. It can be called the &quot;Forbidden City of the Ottoman Empire&quot;&zwnj;12.

It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Its architectural complex includes four courtyards, a harem, an audience hall, etc., showing the perfect fusion of Islamic and Ottoman styles&zwnj;13.
&zwnj;Core Highlights&zwnj;
&zwnj;Treasures and Exhibitions&zwnj;
&zwnj;Jewelry Exhibition Hall&zwnj;: It displays gem-studded sabres, tableware, scriptures, etc. It is especially famous for a giant diamond and a &quot;bed covered with gems&quot;, which is described by tourists as &quot;rich and inhumane&quot;&zwnj;2.
&zwnj;Religious relics&zwnj;: It houses Islamic calligraphy manuscripts, Sultan relics, etc. The Holy Relics Hall is an important sightseeing spot&zwnj;13.
&zwnj;Architectural details&zwnj;: Such as the marble-inlaid colonnade of the Baghdad Palace and the inner palace courtyard of the Gate of Auspicious Omens, which are of great artistic value&zwnj;3.
&zwnj;Scenic advantages&zwnj;
The palace is located on the high ground of the Bosphorus Strait, overlooking the Sea of ​​Marmara, the Golden Horn and the Asian area on the opposite bank. The garden has a wide view and is excellent for taking photos&zwnj;34.
&zwnj;Tourist experience&zwnj;
&zwnj;Tickets and time&zwnj;: Tickets are 1,500 liras (about 345 yuan), and at least 3 hours of visit are required. It is closed on Tuesdays. Free Chinese guides require a passport or $100 to be pledged&zwnj;2.
&zwnj;Tourist evaluation&zwnj;:
Positive: Most tourists think it is &quot;superb&quot;, with rich exhibits such as &quot;Alibaba Treasures&quot;, and the architecture and strait scenery are shocking&zwnj;24.
Negative: The ticket price is relatively high (compared with the Forbidden City), and some facilities such as the guides have typos&zwnj;2. &zwnj;Practical suggestions&zwnj;
&zwnj;Visiting route&zwnj;: Enter from the Imperial Gate (first courtyard), visit the Gate of Reverence (second courtyard), the Gate of Auspicious Omens (third courtyard) and the Treasure House in turn, and finally go to Baghdad Palace to enjoy the sea view&zwnj;3.
&zwnj;Surrounding facilities&zwnj;: There are Western restaurants (such as the popular NUSR-ET steak house) and shopping spots nearby, but please note that the straight-line distance is far&zwnj;4.
&zwnj;Summary&zwnj;
Topkapi Palace is a paradise for history lovers and photographers. Although the ticket price is expensive, its unparalleled treasures and strait views are still worth a special visit. It is recommended to avoid Tuesday and reserve half a day for an in-depth tour&zwnj;12.

The Blue Mosque

DILINA

🕌 Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque), Istanbul📍 Address: Sultan Ahmet Mah., Atmeydanı Cd. No:7, Fatih, Istanbul🕰 Hours: Daily 8:30 AM &ndash; one hour before sunset (Closed to tourists during prayer times)📝 Review:A must-visit landmark in Istanbul! Famous for its six minarets and beautiful blue İznik tiles inside, the Blue Mosque offers stunning Ottoman architecture and a peaceful atmosphere. Entry is free, but respectful clothing is required.✅ Tips:	&bull;	Avoid prayer times (especially Friday noon)	&bull;	Women should bring a scarf to cover hair	&bull;	Plastic bags are provided for shoes⭐ Why Go?Historic, spiritual, and visually breathtaking &mdash; it&rsquo;s right across from Hagia Sophia and perfect for photos and cultural insight.

18th Istanbul Biennial | Istanbul

Details

Vote

Are you interested in 18th Istanbul Biennial?

Recommended Products for 18th Istanbul Biennial | Istanbul

18th Istanbul Biennial

Mandarin Oriental Istanbul

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet

Hagia Sophia

Basilica Cistern

Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul

Raffles Istanbul

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus

Bosphorus

Topkapi Palace

The Blue Mosque

Time:	2025年9月20日–11月23日 (UTC+3)
Location:	Istanbul

18th Istanbul Biennial | Istanbul

Details

Vote

Are you interested in 18th Istanbul Biennial?

Recommended Products for 18th Istanbul Biennial | Istanbul

18th Istanbul Biennial

Mandarin Oriental Istanbul

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet

Hagia Sophia

Basilica Cistern

Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul

Raffles Istanbul

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus

Bosphorus

Topkapi Palace

The Blue Mosque

More contents about Istanbul