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Depart from the hotel and we begin our tour. First of all we will see Hippodrome of Constantinople. In this site we will have a chance to see German Fountain, Obelisk (the oldest thing in Istanbul), Serpent Column, Constantine Column. After seeing the site we will visit Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet). The mosque is with 6 minarets and as large as Hagia Sophia. The inner decoration of the mosque generally blue. After that we will visit Hagia Sophia Museum. The building was a masterpiece of Roman architecture. It was used as a church for about 1000 years and used as a mosque for about 500 years but today is museum. After having lunch we continue walking to Topkapi Palace. The palace is 45000 square meters and was built upon Greek Acropolis. From 15th century to mid-19th century the palace was served offical residence of sultans and seat of the government.
Hotel or Galata Cruise Port
Everyday/ May Start Any Time
Your tour guide will meet you at your hotel lobby or cruise port and start your Istanbul Old City Tour;
Highlights of Topkapi Palace Museum; (Topkapi Sarayi) More than just an Imperial Residence of Ottoman Sultans. It was seat of Supreme Executive Council for almost 400 years long. Topkapi Palace is a great monument of Oriental architecture which resembles power of Ottoman Empire.
Byzantine Hippodrome / Sultanahmet Square; where chariot races were held in Roman Empire times, Egyptian Column from Byzantine Empire time. Today German Fountain is cornerstone of square.
Hagia Sophia (skip the line service is not available for active mosques – there is a queue for the entrance); (Ayasofya, Santa Sofia) Built in 6th century by Emperor Justinian. It plays a very important role in Christian and Islamic World. After the Ottoman conquest the bells, altar, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many mosaics were covered to convert church into a mosque.
Blue Mosque (skip the line service is not available for active mosques – there is a queue for the entrance); Built in the early 1600s for Sultan Ahmet I of the Ottoman Empire. Blue Mosque is truly a magnificent masterpiece of architecture, with amazingly delicate proportions for a building of such massive scale.
Grand Bazaar; (Kapali Carsi) The largest and oldest covered markets in the world with over 4,000 shops. You can find colorful products of ceramic, leather, rugs, carpets, handicrafts, clothes, silver, and gold.
After completing your private Istanbul tour here, your private guide will accompany you on the way back to your hotel or Istanbul port.
Important Notes:
– This trip can be operated as walking tour because sites of visit are near to each other. But if your hotel is not centrally located, booking private van is recommended from and back to your hotel.
– If one of the mosques are not visited, Basilica Cistern will be visited as a replacement.
– On Fridays, Hagia Sophia or Blue Mosque will be visited from outside because of the worship.
Route was great but not as much as guide! Travelling with Orchun was awesome!
