HERITAGES OF OTTOMAN & BYZANTINE - Full Day

*** pick up from hotel 08:00, drop off to hotel 17:30
*** on Monday you will visit Basilica Cistern instead of Hagia Sophia Musuem
*** on Tuesday you will visit Beylerbeyi Palace instead of Topkapi Palace
*** Grand Bazaar is closed on Sunday
*** child aged 0-2 free of charge, %30 discount for child aged under 7 years old.
*** If you ask private tour please ask for price.

Hagia Sophia Museum The “Church of Divine Wisdom” was the largest church in the world in its time. First built in 360 by Emperor Constantius. It was rebuilt between 532 and 537 by Emperor Justinian. Its architects were geometry experts Isidorus of Miledus and master mathematician Anthemius of Tralles. Justinian, on entering Haghia Sophia for first time, exclaimed, “Glory to God that I have been judged worthy of such a work. Oh Solomon! I have outdone you!”.

Blue Mosque Sultanahmet Mosque was built by Sedefkar Mehmet Aga for Sultan Ahmet I in the 17th century. It is the only mosque has six minarets. The “blue” of the mosque is comes from the Iznik tiles that line the walls. No one who has been to Istanbul at least once can ever forget the feeling of awe and wonder at seeing the Blue Mosque for the first time.

Hippodrome This square which was hippodrome in Byzantine and Ottoman times has witnessed the festivities of the Byzantines, the Ottoman’s weddings and horsemanship game. It is like an open air musuem, today. You will see Obelisk of Theodosius from Egypt, Serpentine Column from Delphi and German Fountain of Willhelm II.

Grand Bazaar With over four thousand shops (handmade carpets, jewellery, leather, souvenirs…), banks, store houses and a mosque, Grand Bazaar or Covered Bazaar is the oldest (more than 500 years old) and the largest covered bazaar in the world.

Topkapi Palace Sultan’s palace was built between 1459 and 1465 by Mehmet II. It was home for all of The Ottoman Sultans until 1839. There are four courtyard in the palace. The Topkapi treasury is housed in the four rooms of Conqueror’s Pavillion. The Harem of Topkapi Palace was an area restricted to the sultan’s private family (the tour not contain to visit the Harem part of palace).

Obelisk of Theodesius was carved around 1450 BC and stood in Thebes until it was somehow carried to Constantinople by Emperor Theodesius I in 390 AD.

Serpentine Column comprising three intertwined snakes carved by the ancient Greeks to commemorate their victory over the Persian. The monument was moved from Delphi by Constantine.

Walled Obeliks In the 10th century the Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus built this obelisk. It was originally covered with gilded bronze plaques, but they were sacked by Latin troops in the Fourth Crusade.

Fountain of Wilhelm II an octagonal domed fountain in neo Byzantine style, which was constructed by the German government in 1900 to mark the German Emperor Wilhelm II's visit to Istanbul in 1898.

Historical areas of Istanbul is in the UNESCO World Heritage List.