All of these places are close to each other, and actually close to the major mosques to see in Istanbul as well.  The Basilica Cistern is located near Hagia Sophia.  It contains 336 marble columns and has the capacity to store 100,000 tons of water.  There’s a bit of a mystery around the Medusa/Gorgon heads – where they came from, how/why/where they are placed as they are – in any case they are a big draw in the cistern.

Get your hands off that lady!

The Topkapi Palace looks to be a pretty swell place to have a party.  It’s a UNESCO site now and was the primary residence for the Ottoman sultans for 400 years.

The harem is also available to visit, although it costs extra.  You know she likes to have fun…

Pretty sweet place to hang out, at least if not a eunuch.  Read the blip at that link, yikes…

The archaeology museums are close by as well.  It consists of the Museum of the Ancient Orient, Tiled Kiosk, and the main building in neoclassical style.

Old cats…

There’s a cafe outside, along with tons of artifacts as it seems they have so many that some are just strewn about.  Of course, there are the famous cats of Istanbul all over here too…