Istanbul Old City Tour

Tour Name: Istanbul old City Tour
Tour Code: IOCT-01
Service Basis: Regular / Private
Season: Everyday (All year round)
Departure Time: 08:30 am (approx.)
Departure point: Istanbul Hotel  or  Istanbul Port
Ending point: Istanbul Hotel or Desired location
Duration: 4 hours (approx.)
Transportation Basis: Sit in bus or minibus

Tour to the heart of the old city where the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires once ruled

Hagia Sophia
As one of the attributes of Jesus Christ, ‘Holy Wisdom’ Church Hagia Sophia was built by Byzantine emperor I. Justinian and his big love Theodora. The biggest cathedral of its time and presents amazing marble and mosaic work. It was converted to mosque during the Ottoman time by adding up the minarets, the mosaics covered by plaster and recently revealed, serving as a museum for visitors all around the world.

       

Highlights:

  • Sultan Ahmet Center
  • Hagia (St.) Sophia
  • Blue Mosque
  • Hippodrome
  • Grand Covered Bazaar
  • Egyptian Spice Bazaar
  • Art demonstration of handmade Turkish carpets upon request

Itinerary:

HAGIA SOPHIA
An amazing architectural sample of Byzantium Era that was built in 537. A former Christian church and one of the most precious gem of the World Heritage. In 1453 during the conquest of Istanbul by Fatih Sultan Mehmed, converted into a mosque. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk converted it into a museum in 1935. Hagia Sophia also called as “the eighth wonder of the world”…

BLUE MOSQUE
This mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I between 1609 and 1616 and is located in the district of old Istanbul that is named after this Ottoman Sultan and it is distinguished by its six slender minarets. The central dome is 43 m in height and 33.4 m in diameter and there are 260 stained glass windows throughout the mosque. Due to the intricately decorated blue, green and red tiles of its interior, it has long been referred to as the Blue Mosque. These tiles, produced and painted by hand in Iznik (ancient Nicaea), are an attraction in and of themselves. The Quranic inscriptions that you will see throughout the mosque were made by Seyyid Kasım Gubari, one of the most famous calligraphers of his time.

HIPPODROME
He square in front of the Blue Mosque and Saint-Sophia Church, covers the site of the ancient. It was a horse racing track and also the sporting and social center of the Byzantine Empire.

GRAND COVERED BAZAAR
The Grand Bazaar was built at the command of Fatih Mehmet shortly after the Conquest. It contains 4399 shops, 2195 workshops, 497 stalls and 18 fountains.

EGYPTIAN SPICE BAZAAR
Is next to the Spice Bazaar, or “Misir Carsisi”, is a mystical eastern fantasy. For centuries, the Turkish have been coming to the Spice Bazaars instead of the doctors for centuries old remedies, and even for modern day illnesses. Herbal remedies can often alleviate symptoms for diseases like cancer and remedies for infertility, weight loss.

Included:

  • Hotel Pick-up & drop-off by air-conditioned non-smoking tour coaches​
  • Entrance Fees mentioned by the itineraries​
  • Professional Licensed Tour Guide​
  • Services Charges & Local Taxes​

Excluded:

  • Lunch and Beverages
  • Personal expenses
  • Tips and gratuities

Important Notes:

  • We kindly ask you to be ready in the lobby of your hotel 10 minutes before your definite pick up time
  • Blue Mosque is visited from outside on Friday mornings until 13:00 because of noon-pray
  • Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays.
  • When Hagia Sophia is closed, we visit the Chora Church, famed for its mosaics.
  • On Sundays, we visit Nuruosmaniye Street around Grand Bazaar since Grand Bazaar is closed
  • We do not recommend this tour for the persons having walking difficulty

Nowruz 1402 / 2023

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