138 models at 1:25 scale
Hagia Sophia, the Dome of the Rock and the long-vanished Temple of Artemis, all on one lap of the Golden Horn shore.
Nevit Dilmen — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sarbast.T.Hameed — CC BY-SA 4.0 · VikiPicture — CC BY-SA 3.0 · VikiPicture — CC BY-SA 3.0
Hagia Sophia, the Dome of the Rock, the Mostar Bridge and Rumi's tomb in Konya stand a few paces apart here, most of them no taller than you are. That has been the idea at Miniatürk since it opened in May 2003 on the northern bank of the Golden Horn at Sütlüce: 138 models at 1:25 scale of the best-known buildings of Istanbul, Anatolia and the former Ottoman lands, from Rumeli Hisarı to the İshak Paşa Palace on the far eastern frontier, from Edirne's Selimiye to things that no longer exist at all, such as the Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. The park covers 60,000 square metres, but the models take up only a quarter of that; the rest is car park, restaurants and play areas. Honesty demands a caveat: nobody should cross the sea for this. If you have already walked through Topkapı and the Süleymaniye at full size, the miniatures are amusing rather than astonishing, and the craftsmanship varies from one model to the next. With children it is a different proposition altogether. In the Miniatek zone a little train loops the grounds, remote-controlled boats putter across a pool, and there is a maze, a playground and giant chess; note that the train, boats and maze are paid extras on top of the entry ticket, only the chess is free. The Kristal İstanbul gallery shows the same landmarks laser-etched inside glass blocks. The paths are paved and flat, fine for pushchairs, and wheelchairs are lent free at the gate. The park's own app narrates the models in Arabic, so download it before you arrive. It is an open-air site with little shade, and an August midday lap becomes an endurance test; come at opening, or use the summer Friday and Saturday evenings when the park stays open until 22:00. Note that it is closed on Mondays, that the ticket booth takes only bank cards or an İstanbulkart (no cash, no foreign currency), and that you cannot leave and re-enter on the same ticket. Foreigners pay 900 lira, steep next to the local price; children under six enter free with their families. A taxi from Taksim takes fifteen to twenty minutes, and there is parking for 300 cars if you are driving. The smart move is to pair it with the Rahmi Koç Museum two kilometres along the same shore, which is frankly the better of the two for anyone over ten, and make a full day of the Golden Horn.
Hagia Sophia, the Dome of the Rock and the long-vanished Temple of Artemis, all on one lap of the Golden Horn shore.
A little train, remote-controlled boats, a maze and giant chess; this is what makes the visit worth it with a family (rides are paid extras, chess is free).
From 26 June to 20 September the park stays open late on Fridays and Saturdays, the only comfortable time in August heat.
İmrahor Cad. No. 7, Sütlüce, Beyoğlu
Probably not. Without kids it becomes an hour of mild curiosity for 900 lira in the sun, and no model beats seeing the real thing. The one exception is a two-day Istanbul stay where you want a glimpse of Anatolian landmarks you will never reach. With children under ten, though, it is one of the city's surest bets.
If it has to be one, Rahmi Koç: a real submarine, aircraft, trains and cars you can climb into, and it holds adults and children over eight equally well. Miniatürk wins with very small children thanks to the train and the boats, even if those are paid extras. They sit two kilometres apart on the same shore, so the best answer is both in one day.
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