Forum Istanbul is a large shopping and entertainment complex in Bayrampasa with around 250 shops, an aquarium, a Madame Tussauds, a snow park and a cinema.
Practical notes: open daily 10:00 to 22:00. Attractions are ticketed separately from the shops; combined tickets are available and are cheaper than buying individually. Turkuazoo takes about an hour, Madame Tussauds rather less.
Getting there: T1 tram to Aksaray, then M1 metro to Kocatepe, which exits directly into the complex — about forty-five minutes from the hotel. Taxi is around twenty-five minutes outside peak hours.
Mainly worth the journey if you are travelling with children or want an indoor day; for shopping alone, the bazaars and Nisantasi are considerably closer.