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Editor's Pick
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DAILY CITY
TOURS |
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Istanbul Old City Tour; (Regular) |
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Highlights of This Tour : |
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Full day tour combines the Imperial Tour and
Ottoman Sleependours tour and includes
lunch. |
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Itinerary
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We begin our tour of
the Sultanahmet district, the heart
of
old Istanbul, at
Saint Sophia.
Built by Emperor
Justinian in the 6th
century AD, this church is one of
the marvels of world
architecture.
Its massive dome dominates the
skyline of old Istanbul.
It is famed for its
mosaics, including glittering
portraits of emperors and
empresses. Next we visit the
Blue
Mosque, which owes
its
name to the exquisite tiles adorning
its interior.
Dating from the 17th
century, it is the only
imperial mosque with six minarets.
The Museum of Turkish and Islamic
Arts in the palace of İbrahim
Pasha, grand vezir to Sultan
Süleyman the Magnificent, houses
exhibits from many eras, but is most
famous for its collection of Ottoman
carpets.
The Hippodrome, the stadium
of ancient Byzantium, held 100,000
spectators and featured objects from
all corners of the empire. Of these,
an Egyptian obelisk and a
bronze sculpture of three entwined
serpents from Delphi survive. The
Grand Bazaar, was the commercial
heart of the old city and its 4,000
shops are full of treasures –
including carpets and kilims, silks,
jewelry, ceramics, icons, and
leather goods. Wandering through the
Grand Bazaar, indulge in some
shopping, Ottoman style.
(also available on Tuesday
afternoons) |
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Lunch
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We begin our
tour at Topkapi Palace, which,
from the 15th to the 19th
century, was the principle
residence of the Ottoman Sultans.
We will visit
the fabolous Imperial Treasury
and the Baghdad Kiosk.
Topkapı Palace is now a museum and
has unrivalled collections of
jewelry, including the
Spoonmaker’s Diamond, the 3rd
largest in the world, Ottoman court
costumes and ceramics, notably one
of the world’s finest collection of
early Chinese ceramics, much
of it gifts from other rulers.
Interestingly, some of the ceramics
have a special glaze that was said
to change color in the presence of
poison.
We also visit the
Imperial Armory, displaying
centuries of Ottoman weaponry. But
perhaps the loveliest features of
Topkapı Palace are its courtyards
with their ancient trees, and it is
easy to imagine the sultan strolling
here far from the cares of state and
empire.
The Suleymaniye Mosque
is the largest and grandest of
Istanbul’s imperial mosques.
It dates from the 16th
century heyday of the Ottoman
Empire, and was designed by Sinan,
the greatest architect of his day
and originator of the Classical
Ottoman style of architecture. Of
the 2,000 structures Sinan designed,
Süleymaniye Mosque and its complex
of charitable institutions rank
among the most important.
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Important : |
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Except Tuesdays |
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Tour Info |
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Tour
Code: DCTR-1+2 |
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