Gün 01: Day 1 Istanbul Tour – Old City Tour

İstanbul Your tour guide will meet you at your hotel lobby or cruise port and start your Istanbul Old City Tour; Hagia Sophia; (Ayasofya, Santa Sofia) Built in 6th century by Emperor Justinian. It plays a very important role in Christian and Islamic World. After the Ottoman conquest the bells, altar, and sacrificial vessels were removed and many mosaics were covered to convert church into a mosque. Hippodrome; where chariot races were held in Roman Empire times, Egyptian Column from Byzantine Empire time. Today German Fountain is cornerstone of square. Basilica Cistern; was the water storage of Byzantine Empire providing drinking water to citizens of city, especially during period of siege. Blue Mosque; Built in the early 1600s for Sultan Ahmet I of the Ottoman Empire. Blue Mosque is truly a magnificent masterpiece of architecture with amazingly delicate proportions for a building of such massive scale. * Temporarily closed between January 1- April 1 on 2023 Topkapi Palace; (Topkapi Sarayi) More than just an Imperial Residence of Ottoman Sultans. It was seat of Supreme Executive Council for almost 400 years long. Topkapi Palace is a great monument of Oriental architecture which resembles power of Ottoman Empire. Grand Bazaar; (Kapali Carsi) The largest and oldest covered markets in the world with over 4,000 shops. You can find colorful products of ceramic, leather, rugs, carpets, handicrafts, clothes, silver, and gold. After completing your private Istanbul tour here, your private guide will accompany you on the way back to your hotel or Istanbul port. Note: This trip can be operated as walking tour because sites of visit are near to each other. But if your hotel is not centrally located, booking private van is recommended from and back to your hotel.