ITINERARY

• The Blue Mosque serves as an important feature of Ottoman history. The architecture of the structure is revered for its grandeur, and the interior boasts intricate design and artwork. Located on a hill in Istanbul, the Mosque sits on top of an old Byzantine palace structure, and is located by the famed Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia. The exterior parts of the Blue Mosque are made of a combination of red granite, marble, pudding stone, and porphyry. The interior materials are similar, but also feature ceramic tiling, wooden features, and more.
• Hagia Sophia means Church or Sanctuary of Holy Wisdom. After the Muslim conquest of Constantinople, the name was altered to refer to the structure as a mosque. The Islamic terminology became Holy Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque. The Hagia Sophia is important to Christians because it served as the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. To the Greek Orthodox Christians, this seat was equivalent to that of the Catholic Pope. The Hagia Sophia is known for its architectural splendor, its art, its symbolism of the consolidation of Roman political and religious powers, and its rich history. The Hagia Sophia was important to the Roman Empire because it represented the consolidation of religious and political power. This consolidation of power was best symbolized in the use of the Hagia Sophia for ceremonial coronations of emperors.
• Explore the unique Basilica Cistern or Yerebatan Palace is located in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district. It was built under the Stoa Basilica, which was built as a center of commerce, justice and art between the 3rd and 4th centuries. First constructed by Emperor Constantine, the small building was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century due to the corruption of the city during the uprisings in 532. Because all the waters around Istanbul were saltwater, the Basilica Cistern served filtered drinking water to the Great Palace and the buildings around it. 1453 after the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottoman Empire, water was also supplied to Topkapi Palace.
• The story of the Hippodrome of Constantinople starts in ancient times; it dates from the beginning of 3rd century AD and was built on the orders of emperor Septimius Severus. Byzantium already enjoyed a strategic and important position at this time, although it had to wait until the 4th century to reach its zenith of power. It became the capital of the Roman Empire on the initiative of Constantine the Great who renamed it Constantinople, the city of Constantine, and it was expanded with impressive buildings.
• The Grand Bazaar was commissioned by Mehmet II (1444-1481) immediately after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1453 to provide financial resources for the Hagia Sophia. The construction of the Grand Bazaar began in 1461. The Grand Bazaar, which was a wooden structure at the beginning, is now entirely built of stone and brick. Bricks were used for the vaulted arches, cut stones were used at the base of the arches, and walls were built by plastering over bricks or stone. The oldest building is the Cevahir or İç Bedesten. The second oldest building is the Sandal Bedesten. Bedesten, a vaulted and fireproofed segment of the Grand Bazaar, gets its name from bez (cloth) and means cloth seller’s market. Both bedestens are typical examples of classical Ottoman architecture.
• Enjoy the views of Sultanahmet are while walking from one to the other sights to see, different architecture of buildings, parks, fountains
• Learn and enjoy how to wiving session in an old Bedesten of Istanbul, learn the culture and technics, get the real information about the quaility handicrafts,