جولة مسلسلات تركية في إسطنبول: القرن العظيم ومواقع تصوير الأفلام

A Turkish TV series tour in Istanbul usually combines two things: the real Ottoman places behind Magnificent Century, such as Topkapı Palace, the Süleymaniye Mosque and Hürrem Sultan's bathhouse, and the Bozdağ film sets in Riva, where Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Kuruluş: Osman were filmed and which are open to visitors. The palace interiors you saw in Magnificent Century were built on studio sets, so the real history is where fans go. Our Diriliş Ertuğrul and Kuruluş Osman film set day tour starts from $88 per person.

This page sorts the filming locations you can visit from the ones you cannot, gives a one-day Magnificent Century route through the old city, explains what to expect at the Bozdağ sets, and lists the neighbourhoods where modern Turkish dramas are shot.

Where Magnificent Century was really filmed

Muhteşem Yüzyıl, sold abroad as Magnificent Century, was a Tims Productions series about Süleyman the Magnificent and Hürrem Sultan, and it became one of the most widely exported Turkish dramas. Many fans arrive expecting to walk through the palace from the show. That palace does not exist.

According to Turkish press reports, the production built a palace set of about 2,000 square metres of indoor space at a television studio in Istanbul, and the later spin-off, Magnificent Century: Kösem, moved to a large outdoor set in Hadımköy. These are working studios, not visitor attractions. The production also had problems with real historic sites: in 2012 Hürriyet Daily News reported that Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism filed a complaint over alleged damage during filming at a historic site.

The good news is that the real places are better than the set. Süleyman lived in Topkapı Palace, Hürrem built a bathhouse beside Hagia Sophia, and both are buried at the Süleymaniye Mosque. You can visit all of them in one day.

The real places of Süleyman and Hürrem

At Topkapı, the Harem is the part fans most want to see. It is a maze of rooms, courtyards and corridors, and the visit takes about an hour on its own. Our Topkapı Palace guided tour page explains the order of the courtyards and how to avoid the queues, and the Topkapı, Harem and Basilica Cistern tour with fast-track entry starts from $150 per person.

A one-day Magnificent Century route

This is the order we use with fans, starting early to beat the crowds at the palace:

1. Topkapı Palace (9:00 to 12:00). The Imperial Council hall where İbrahim Pasha and the viziers met, the Harem, and the Treasury. Not on a Tuesday.
2. Lunch near Sultanahmet, then a look at the Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamam across the park from Hagia Sophia.
3. The Hippodrome and the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum (13:30 to 14:30), in İbrahim Pasha's palace.
4. The Süleymaniye Mosque and the tombs (15:00 to 16:00). A short drive or a steep walk. The view over the Golden Horn from the terrace is one of the best in the city.
5. Rüstem Pasha Mosque (16:15). Down the hill near the Spice Bazaar.
6. Optional ferry to Üsküdar for the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque by the pier at the end of the day.

With a guide, the stories connect: who İbrahim Pasha was, why Hürrem's influence was unusual, and how Sinan's buildings record the reign. Our Istanbul mosques tour page has more on visiting etiquette, and things to do in Sultanahmet covers the area in walking order.

The Bozdağ film sets: Ertuğrul and Osman

Unlike Magnificent Century, the Ottoman-founding dramas Diriliş: Ertuğrul and its sequel Kuruluş: Osman were filmed on sets you can walk through. They are at the Bozdağ Film Plateaus (Bozdağ Film Platoları) in Riva, part of the Beykoz district on the Asian side of Istanbul, near the Black Sea coast. GoTürkiye, the official tourism portal, describes the complex as Türkiye's largest film studio, spread over about 140 acres.

What visitors can do there, according to GoTürkiye and Daily Sabah:

• Walk through the sets, including the Kayı tribe tents, the İnegöl fortress, the Ürgenç bazaar and Osman Bey's mansion.
• Dress in period costume for photos.
• Try archery and watch blacksmiths and weavers at work.
• Ride a horse or watch the equestrian show.
• Eat at the Söğüt 1299 restaurant, which serves Seljuk- and Ottoman-style dishes.
• Sometimes meet cast members, when filming schedules allow.

GoTürkiye lists the site as open every day of the year, and Daily Sabah reported opening hours of 10 am to 8 pm in 2025. Hours, show times and ticket prices change by season, and some activities such as horse rides cost extra on top of the entry ticket, so check before you go. Riva is a long way from the old city, so plan it as a separate day. Our film set day tour handles the transport, from $88 per person.

The real history behind Ertuğrul and Osman

Fans who want to go further can follow the real story. Ertuğrul Gazi, father of Osman, is buried in Söğüt, a small town in Bilecik province where much of the later story is set. Osman Gazi, the founder of the Ottoman state, and his son Orhan are buried in Bursa, the first Ottoman capital, on Tophane hill.

Our private Ertuğrul Gazi tour covers both in two days, Söğüt and Bursa, from $535 per person. If one day is all you have, the Bursa day trip from Istanbul with cable car and lunch, from $90 per person, includes the old capital. See our Bursa destination guide for the city itself.

Modern Turkish dramas: Balat, Kuzguncuk and the Bosphorus

Contemporary series film on real streets, which means you can walk through them for free:

• Balat. Çukur, the crime drama that ran for four seasons on Show TV, was filmed largely in Balat on the Golden Horn. Turkish press reports place the series' coffee house, soup kitchen and barber shop in the back streets of the neighbourhood, and local guides now run Çukur walks. Balat's colourful houses and steep lanes appear in many other series too. Read our guide to things to do in Balat.
• Kuzguncuk. This small neighbourhood on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus became a favourite location after the 1980s series Perihan Abla, and later hosted Ekmek Teknesi. Wooden houses, a mosque and a church side by side, and old cafés make it a natural set.
• The Bosphorus yalı mansions. Waterfront mansions appear in many family dramas. Most are private homes, so the best way to see them is from the water, on a cruise up the strait.
• Galata and Beyoğlu. The streets around the Galata Tower and İstiklal Avenue are regular backdrops in romantic comedies.

Remember that these are lived-in neighbourhoods. Residents in Balat and Kuzguncuk are used to cameras but not to people photographing their windows. Ask before photographing people, and keep doorways clear.

Planning a TV series day

A few planning points:

• Do not put the film sets and Topkapı on the same day. Riva and the old city are on opposite sides of the city.
• Check the day of the week. Topkapı Palace closes on Tuesdays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays.
• Dress for the mosques. Covered shoulders and knees, and a scarf for women. The tombs at Süleymaniye follow the same rules.
• Bring cash for extras at the film sets, such as costume photos.

If you have three days or more, our 3-day Istanbul itinerary shows where a TV series day fits.

Tours that cover this

• Diriliş Ertuğrul and Kuruluş Osman Film Set Day Tour from Istanbul: from $88 per person.
• Private Ertuğrul Ghazi Tour from Istanbul: 2 Days in Söğüt and Bursa: from $535 per person.
• Istanbul Private Topkapı Palace, Harem and Basilica Cistern Tour with Fast-Track: from $150 per person.
• Istanbul Old City Private Tour: Hagia Sophia, Topkapı and Grand Bazaar: from $200 per person.

More ideas are on our Istanbul destination guide.

Frequently Asked Questions