Day : Tour Day 1
Full Day Tour) Tour starts at the heart of the old city: “Sultanahmet Center”. Byzantine and Ottoman Empires were ruled from here. HAGIA SOPHIA from the 6th century is the greatest piece of history of architecture, constucted by Emperor Justinian as basilica. BLUE MOSQUE, built in the name of Sultan Ahmet, is famous with the blue tiles adorning the walls of it’s interior and 6 minarets. HIPPODROME, the center of the old city where sportif and political events took place, decorated with Serpentine Column, Obelisk of Theodosius and German Fountain of Wilhelm II. GRAND BAZAAR one of the worlds biggest and the oldest covered bazaars with 4000 shops selling authentic goods, antiques, carpets, gold jewelery, leatherware and souvenirs. Also you have seen Grand Bazaar at the last movie of James Bond. Lunch at a Turkish restaurant. TOPKAPI PALACE was the residence of Ottoman sultans for 400 years and now a UNESCO world heritage site as the best example of palaces. SAcred Islamic relic of prophet Mohammed, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and murals, large collections of porcelains, robes, weapons, armors, shields, Ottoman miniatures, imperial treasures and jewelery are exhibited at the palace. (Harem is not included in the program) There are five SULTAN TOMBS at Hagia Sophia graveyard. Tomb of Sultan Selim, built by Sinan, is the one of the most beautiful tombs. Tomb of sultan Murat II is one of the largest Ottoman tombs. Tomb of sultan Mehmet II was decorated with stars, flowers and landscape pictures which is a style different from the classical ornamentation elemnets of the period. Tombs of prices also built by Sinan. also visioned during the tour GALATA BRIDGE | GOLDEN HORN | LEANDER’ S TOWER This tour ends approximately at 17:00
