ITINERARY

• The largest, oldest, and most attractive covered bazaar in the world, where people have been trading jewelry, carpets, food, perfumes, and even gossiping for centuries! The tour also includes a short demonstration of Turkish rugs.
• The Shrine of Holy Wisdom, a marvelous Byzantine basilica built in the 6th century, marks the golden age of Justinianus. The domed construction of the sanctuary is an architectural innovation and was so richly and artistically decorated that Justinian proclaimed, "Solomon, I have outdone thee!". Humankind would have to wait for millennia before building a cathedral that would surpass the gigantic size of Hagia Sophia. Converted to a mosque following the Ottoman conquest of the city, by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1453, as the young Sultan fulfilled a divine premonition by the Holy Prophet Mohammad himself. In 1935 the building was converted to a museum by the executive order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. Hagia Sophia, whose status was converted to a mosque in July 2020, has been taking its visitors on a journey through the multi-layered texture of history as a mosque ever since.
• 1453 was the year, twenty-year-old Mehmet II (later named the Conquerer) commanded his armies to take the lands of Constantinople from the Eastern Roman Empire and converted to a new Ottoman Capital. This important footstep towards to the history resulted with a new-born empire, reforged from the foundation of a small-tribe-state. After a six-year construction by a very special and selected stone masons and cutters, Saray-i Cedid-i Amire (the New Palace) was completed in 1465 and opened to use of the House of Osman and its cabinet. The palace's itself contains many symbolic meanings with regards to social degrees, in its architecture and the Palaceitselfstill remains as one of the most attractive places to pay a visit even today. This specially designed excursion is inviting you to unlock the every single door at the Imperial Court of the Ottoman Dynasty and reveal the history behind those doors!
• Underground cistern The Underground Cistern, also known as the Basilica Cistern, is a famous ancient water reservoir located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century and is one of the largest surviving cisterns of Istanbul.
• Sirkeci Station Sirkeci railway station, listed on maps as Istanbul railway station (Turkish: İstanbul garı), is a railway terminal in Istanbul, Turkey. The terminal is located in Sirkeci, on the tip of Istanbul's historic peninsula, right next to the Golden Horn and just northwest of Gülhane Park and the Topkapı Palace. Sirkeci Terminal on the European side of the Bosporus strait, along with Haydarpaşa Terminal on the Asian side, are Istanbul's two intercity and commuter railway terminals.
• The Galata Bridge is a popular tourist attraction and a gathering place for locals. Visitors can enjoy the stunning views of the city and the harbor from the bridge, and can also sample the delicious local cuisine at the many restaurants and cafes located on the lower level of the bridge. The bridge is also an important transportation hub, connecting the historic neighborhoods of Eminonu and Karakoy on the European side of Istanbul with the district of Uskudar on the Asian side.
• Built in 1973, the Bosphorus Bridge connects the European and the Asian sides of Istanbul. While traveling over 60 meters above the Marmara sea, an immaculate sight of the city’s modern and ancient sites can be seen.