Full Day İstanbul Old City Tour (10:00-16:00)

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The tour begins at the Hagia Sophia of Sultanahmet, the old center of Istanbul. Built by Justinian in the early 6th century AD and designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isodore of Miletus, Hagia Sophia is world-renowned as one of the architectural wonders of the world. Converted into a mosque in 1453, the building now serves as a museum. Inside, there are many mosaics, along with impressive portraits of many emperors and empresses, as well as a statue of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus. Afterwards, we visit the Sultanahmet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, named after the elegant tiles that decorate its interior. Built in the early 17th century by Sultan Ahmet I and designed by a disciple of the greatest Ottoman architect, Sinan, this mosque is the only imperial mosque with six minarets. After the tour, we will visit the Hippodrome, the ancient stadium of Byzantium. This Hippodrome used to accommodate 100,000 spectators and displayed artifacts from all over the empire. Among these artifacts are the obelisk from Egypt and the bronze statue of the three entwined serpents of Delphi, which still remain here today. After the Hippodrome tour, we will visit the Grand Bazaar, the commercial center of the old city. There are over 4,000 shops selling carpets, rugs, jewelry, ceramics, leather, etc. After the first part of the tour, we will have lunch. After that, we will start the second part of the tour with a tour of the Topkapi Palace, the main residence of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Here, we will visit the old imperial treasury and kiosks. The Topkapi Palace has a diverse and unique collection of jewels, including the Spoonmaker Diamond, one of the most precious diamonds in the world. We will also see the old imperial armory, which displays weapons from the Ottoman Empire that were used for centuries. The last stop on the tour is the Hagia Irene Church. This is one of the few churches in Istanbul that was not converted into a mosque, as the Church of the Holy Peace was used as an armory until the 19th century. Hagia Irene is said to have the honor of being the first church built in Byzantium. It was built on the site of a pre-Christian temple, and later became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.