| Full
Day |
| Departs |
08:00 |
| Ends |
17:00 |
| Duration |
8 Hours |
| Guaranteed
Departure |
All Year Round |
| What to
visit |
Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand
Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, Little Hagia Sophia
|
Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
Was built by Sultan Ahmet I during 1609-1616 in the
square carrying his name in Istanbul. It is the only mosque in
Turkey with six minarets. The central dome is 43 m in height
and is 33.4 m in diameter. 260 windows surround the mosque.
Due to its beautiful blue, green and white tilings it has been
named the "Blue Mosque" by Europeans. The inscriptions were
made by Seyyid Kasm Gubari.
Roman Hippodrome and
Obelisk
The ancient Hippodrome, scene of
chariot races and the centre of Byzantine civic life, stands
in the area that is now in front of the Blue Mosque, and now
part of Sultanahmet. Of the ornaments which once decorated it,
only three remain: The Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze
Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. Remains of
the curved end of the Hippodrome wall can be seen on the
southwest side of the three.
Hagia Sophia
Basilica
The primary church in
Constantinople, Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom), is inaugurated
after being rebuilt by Emperor Justinian I (527-565). After
the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453 Hagia
Sophia became a mosque and is now a museum. The church of
Hagia Sophia was the most important church of the Christian
East. It was also structurally the first of its design, with
the biggest dome ever constructed for a church, which created
a light, well illuminated interior. The same year Justinian
ordered to build a new basilica, the one we can see today, and
only five years later, 537 AD, it was opened to the public. In
1453, with the conquest of Istanbul, Sultan Mehmed the
Conqueror converted the church into a mosque. Hagia Sophia
Museum, the legacy of both Christian and Muslim culture, was
opened for visits according to the order of Ataturk and
decision of the Turkish Assembly of Ministers on the 1st of
February, 1935.
Grand Covered Bazaar
This bazaar was first built by
Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror and was expanded during the reign
of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566), and reached
its present form in 1701. Its extends over 65 streets,
covering an area of 30.702 square meters. It contains a
mosque, 21 inns, two vaulted bazaars, seven fountains, a well
and 3300 shops. It possesses 18 gates, eight of them large,
ten of then smaller. It has survived five fires, and has been
restored and repaired and has reached our present
times.
Topkapi
Palace
Imperial residence of Ottoman Sultans,
the maze of buildings that was the focal point of the Ottoman
Empire between the 15th and 19th centruies. In these opulent
surroundings the sultans and their court lived and governed. A
magnificent wooded garden fills the outer, or first, court. In
the second court, on the right, shaded by cyprees and plane
trees,stand the palace kitchens, which now serve as galleries
exhibiting the imperial collections of crystal, silver and
Chinese porcelain. Today the third court holds the Hall of
Audience, the Library of Ahmet III, an exhibition of imperial
costumes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous
jewels of the treasury and a priceless collection of
miniatures from medieval manuscripts. In the center of this
innermost sanctuary, the Prophet Muhammet (S.A.V) brought to
Istanbul when the Ottomans assumed the caliphaten of
Islam. Also visioned during the tours AQUADUCT OF VALENS*OBELISK OF THEODOSIUS*SERPENTINE COLUMN*GERMAN FOUNTAIN OF WILHELM II
Little Hagia Sophia Mosque
LITTLE HAGIA SOPHIA MOSQUE is known as one of the oldest standing churches in Istanbul dating back to 6th century. It is early domed-basilica architectural plan of famous Hagia Sophia which was applied here first time in the history. Temple is founded by powerful emperor Justinianos whose reign was golden age of Roman Empire and now is used as a mosque since 1497...
GENERAL INFORMATION
& CONDITIONS
We kindly request our guests to
be ready 10 minutes before departure time,
30% discount for
children below the age 7, free for the ages
0-2 |
