Itinerary

1. Istanbul

   • Start the tour from Hippodrome, and see the heart of Constantinople’s political and sporting life, and the scene of games and riots through 500 years of Ottoman history as well. The site of the arena became a public square, as it still is today, and was given the appropriate name of At Meydanı, the “Square of Horses”.
   • Visit Blue Mosque, which 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. Due to the intricately decorated blue, green, and red tiles of its interior, it has long been referred to as the Blue Mosque
   • Head to Hagia Sophia, one of the most extraordinary buildings in the history of architecture. It was the cathedral of Byzantine Constantinople for more than a thousand years, and then for nearly five centuries after the Turkish conquest, it served as a mosque. It was deconsecrated and converted into a museum in 1934.
   • See the Şerefiye Cistern, one of the Roman city’s three major cisterns. Although the Şerefiye Cistern is smaller than the Basilica Cistern and the Binbirdirek Cistern, both as a column and an area, it is approximately 1600 years old and older than the other two famous cisterns.
   • Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.  
   • Move to Topkapı Palace, which was for more than four centuries the imperial residence of the Ottoman sultans and the administrative heart of the empire. In addition to its historical and architectural interest, it houses important collections of porcelain, armor, costumes, and jewelry, as well as many precious objects and works of art.
   • Stroll in the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered bazaars in the world, the Grand Bazaar is 30,700 square meters with over 60 streets and alleys and 4,000 shops.