Sultanahmet with a baby and kids: practical tips

Can you use a stroller in Sultanahmet?

Yes, if you choose it wisely. Sultanahmet Square, Divanyolu Avenue and the stretch between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are flat and wide. The streets down to Cankurtaran, Küçük Ayasofya and Gülhane, however, are cobbled and sloping, with narrow pavements.

• A light, foldable stroller with big wheels copes far better with cobblestones.
• A baby carrier is essential for places with stairs: the Basilica Cistern, the Hagia Sophia gallery and parts of Topkapı.
• Strollers cannot go inside mosques; leave it at the entrance or fold and carry it.
• The T1 tram is low-floor and easy to board with a stroller, but it is crowded at rush hour (08:00–09:30 and 17:00–19:00).

Where do you find a pharmacy, formula and nappies?

Turkish pharmacies (eczane) are easy to spot by their sign with a large “E”. There are several within a few minutes’ walk on Sultanahmet and Divanyolu Avenue.

• Nappies, wipes, baby formula and nappy cream are sold in pharmacies and supermarkets. Common international brands are available, but if your baby is used to a specific formula, bring enough for the first few days.
• Fever, diarrhoea and allergy medicines: pharmacists are usually helpful, and English-speaking staff are easy to find in the tourist area.
• Nights and holidays: every pharmacy door shows that night’s duty pharmacy (nöbetçi eczane).
• Emergencies: call 112. Hotel reception will know the nearest hospital and paediatric emergency department.

Istanbul’s tap water is treated, but locals mostly drink bottled water; use bottled water when preparing baby formula.

Where do you eat with kids, and is halal food easy to find?

Almost every restaurant in Sultanahmet uses halal meat, and pork is virtually absent. Some restaurants serve alcohol; if you prefer an alcohol-free setting, choose an esnaf lokantası or a köfte place. Rather than naming places that change, here are the kinds of restaurants that work well with children:

• Esnaf lokantası: traditional canteens where you point at ready-made dishes; rice, lentil soup, beans and vegetable stews are quick and safe for kids.
• Köfte (meatball) restaurants: Sultanahmet köfte with bean salad and rice; a simple menu most children love.
• Pide and lahmacun salons: Turkish flatbreads, cheap, quick and shareable. Cheese pide is a kids’ favourite.
• Simit and börek: sesame bread rings and pastries from street carts and bakeries for breakfast or snacks.
• Pudding shops and ice-cream stands: rice pudding, milk pudding and ice cream for a sweet break.

Tips: restaurants facing the main square are usually pricier; a street or two back you will find more local, better-value places. If a menu has no prices, ask before ordering. High chairs are not everywhere.

How should you visit mosques with children?

• Dress: cover shoulders and knees. Women and teenage girls cover their hair; scarves may be lent at the door, but bringing your own is easier. Rules are relaxed for small children.
• Shoes: take them off at the entrance and carry them in the bags provided. Slip-on shoes for kids help.
• Prayer times: visits are paused for roughly half an hour to an hour at each prayer, longer at Friday noon. See the daily times on the Diyanet website or the board at the mosque entrance.
• Behaviour: keep quiet, don’t walk in front of people praying and don’t use flash. Crawling or sitting on the carpet is fine.

For Hagia Sophia’s visitor rules, see our Hagia Sophia guide.

Are there toilets and baby-changing facilities?

There are public toilets around Sultanahmet Square and in Gülhane Park; some charge a small fee, so carry coins or an Istanbulkart. Mosques have toilets next to their ablution areas. Toilets inside museums are usually cleaner, but changing tables are not everywhere, so a portable changing mat makes life much easier. If you are staying nearby, popping back to the hotel is often simplest.

What else is useful to know?

• Sun and heat: from June to August there is little shade on the square at midday; hats, sunscreen and water are a must.
• Crowds: put a card with your hotel’s name and your phone number in your children’s pockets, and agree on a meeting point.
• Cats: street cats are everywhere in Sultanahmet; most are gentle, but teach kids to ask before touching.
• Touts and guide offers: a polite “no, thank you” is enough.
• Call to prayer: it sounds five times a day, including before dawn, which can wake light sleepers on the first nights. Ask for a back-facing room.

To decide when to go, read the best time to visit Istanbul with kids; for getting there, see Istanbul airport to Sultanahmet.