A nice break from the rush of Istanbul, city tours Istanbul
Private tours Istanbul and the famously beautiful stretch of water, the Bosphorus, offer a different kind of tour. Are Istanbulians lucky to have that stretch? To have a place where locals can escape the noise of the big city? For the locals, crossing the Bosphorus to go from one side to the other, from Europe to Asia or the opposite, it is the time when they can be with their own thoughts…
Regardless of the fact that Bosphorus can be dangerous, it is widely liked and adored. For people who live in Istanbul, the Bosphorus means a great view. One that stays the same – continuous traffic, a cruise ship or a battle ship, ferryboats, fishing boats.
Also, for tourists on private tours Istanbul, Bosphorus is an attraction on both sides. Beautiful houses, palaces, mosques attract the eyes of the ones who are eager to explore the beauty of Istanbul, the Bosphorus.
A tour on the Bosphorus
We start our private tours Istanbul from Eminonu at around 10 am. According to sources, Eminonu is one of the places where Byzantium was first established. The Eminonu coast was ultimately a harbour during the Byzantine period. Today, it is usually crowded with tourists. If there in the evening and the weather is good, one can enjoy a sunset view of the Golden Horn, and a good, cheap dinner – balik ekmek (‘balik’- fish and ‘ekmek’- bread). The attractive couple, Fish and Bread, just like Bosphorus, is another symbol of Istanbul. For a century, maybe, fishermen brought their catch from the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara to Istanbul’s Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn for sale. Local people know the ‘balik ekmek’ very well and whenever they have the chance, they just have it. For tourists or visitors to the city, this is something they must try, although they might find it a bit fish at first.
The tour
Back to our tour. After we leave Eminonu, the European side, we head to the north. Firstly, we see the Dolmabahce Palace which is a late Ottoman palace built in the middle of the 19th century. The palace is a great place to offer a more modern yet historic view of Turkey. Dolmabahce Palace is simply beautiful. It is very European and grand. Sultan Abdulmecid II spared no expense in creating a house to rival the most opulent palaces of France. The result is a magnificent building consisting of 285 rooms, four grand salons, six galleries. Also, five main staircases, six hamams and 43 toilets. The palace can easily be a favourite destination in private tours Istanbul as well as private Turkey tours. Dolmabahce Palace can also be in your top list for Istanbul sightseeing tours. Next will be Ortakoy, Bebek and Yenikoy. These are all neighbourhoods in Istanbul, each one of them with their story.
Peace and beauty
Our peaceful journey on the Bosphorus takes us past Rumeli Fortress, which Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror built just before the great attack for Constantinopolis. It was built in less than 5 months and looked from above it depicts the name of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in Arabic. The fortress was built in order to manage the passing ships in the Boshorus. Also, as a military-financial control point as well as a strong resistance base to prevent attacks from the north of the Bosphorus.
The Bosphorus view
At Anadolu Fortress we will have a break for lunch. Later, on the way back to the Asian side, we will see the Kuleli Army High School, Beylerbeyi Palace and the Maiden Tower. Make sure you remember the beautiful story of the Maiden Tower. It has rich history and the architectural style responds to the era around 340 BCE. The tower served many different purposes throughout the centuries. It used to be tax collection centre, a defense tower, and a lighthouse. As every place of importance, the Maiden’s Tower is a subject of several legends. One of the legends tells about a young girl named Hero and a boy, Leandros who fell in love. Every night Leandros swam to the islet guided by the fire Hero used to build for him. Unfortunately, one night a storm put the fire out and Leandros lost his way. In her devastation and grief, Hero committed a suicide.
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