Istanbul old city tours – Classical Istanbul
Our ‘Istanbul old city tours’ includes all the major classic sites of Istanbul. These are; a visit to the Hagia Sophia Museum; (Aya Sofya, St.Sophia or simply the Church of Holy Wisdom – it is the place where religions meet, where Islamic art and Christian architecture blend blissfully. It is famous for its massive dome, impressive icons and mosaics ); the Blue Mosque – one of the architectural marvels of the world. Built with the idea to rival and even surpass in grandeur and beauty Hagia Sophia, it immediately attracts attention with its stained-glass windows, the huge central space for praying and Iznik tiles, that feature flowers, trees and abstract patterns.
Topkapi Palace
Another museum to be visited – a palace in the past, a fine example of Ottoman architecture, an exhibition of a large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armour, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, as well as a display of Ottoman treasures and jewellery – the Topkapi Palace.
A site of importance we will also visit is the imperial lodge of Ottoman Sultans and administrative centre of the Empire for approximately 400 years. We are not going to miss the Harem where many stories of numerous concubines are locked, where you will be amazed with the beauty of the Iznik tiles. Our tour also visits the Hippodrome monuments of Constantine’s Column – a Roman monumental column constructed on the orders of Emperor Constantine the Great to commemorate the declaration of Byzantium as the new capital city of the Roman Empire; Serpent Column and Egyptian Obelisk.
Grand Bazaar
We will finish our Istanbul old city tours by visiting the first shopping mall of the history. It was built in 1464, at the command of Mehmet the Conqueror, the Grand Bazaar contains around 4400 shops, 2195 workshops, 497 stalls and 18 fountains. The bazaar is not just a covered market. It is, with all the mosques, banks, police stations, restaurants and workshops, a covered city of its own.
guided round tours Turkey
Princes’ Islands Boat
Bosphorus Tour
Modern Istanbul City
Istanbul Nightlife
