ITINERARY

• Hagia Sophia which means Holy Wisdom, an important Byzantine structure in Istanbul and one of the world's great monuments. It was built as a Christian church in the 6th century under the direction of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. In subsequent centuries it became a mosque, a museum, and a mosque again. The building reflects the religious changes that have played out in the region over the centuries, with the minarets and inscriptions of Islam as well as the lavish mosaics of Christianity.
• Running between the Topkapi Palace walls and Hagia Sophia, this picturesque cobbled street is named after the Soğuk Çeşme(Cold Fountain) at its southern end.
• This lovely little building tucked away in the shadow of Hagia Sophia was designed by Ottoman Architect Mimar Sinan on the orders of Cafer Aga, Suleyman the Magnificent's chief black eunuch. Built in 1560 as a school, it now houses a cultural organisation that teaches and promotes traditional Turkish handicrafts. The courtyard is home to the unassuming Caferaga Medresesi Tea House where possible to enjoy a glass of tea or a cup of Turkish Coffee.
• Topkapi is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world's museums put together. Sultans, beautiful concubines, and scheming eunuchs lived and worked here between the 15th and 19th centuries when it was the court of Ottoman Empire. A visit to the palace's opulent pavilions, jewel-filled Treasury and sprawling Harem gives a fascinating glimpse into their lives. Please kindly note the Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays. The Basilica Cistern is visited instead.
• The Byzantine emperors loved nothing more than an afternoon at the chariot races, and this rectangular arena alongside Sultanahmet Park was their venue of choice. In its heyday, it was decorated by obelisks and statues, some of which remain in place today.
• The mosque's wonderfully curvaceous exterior features a cascade of domes and six slender minarets. Blue Iznik tiles adorn the interior.
• The colourful and chaotic Grand Bazaar is the heart of Istanbul's Old City and has been so for centuries. Starting as a small vaulted bedesten(warehouse) built by the order of Mehmet Conqueror in 1461, it grew to cover a vast area as lanes between the bedesten, shops and hans were roofed and the market assumed the sprawling, labyrinthine form that retains today. Please kindly note that the Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays. The Basilica Cistern is visited instead. The Basilica Cistern entrance fee is not included. Your guide helps you to pay and get the tickets. Skip the line option is available for the Basilica Cistern.
• Optional Basilica Cistern Visit. The Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays. The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays. We will visit the Basilica Cistern on these days instead. Please kindly note that we can add the Basilica Cistern visit into every day tour schedule if asked by our guests since the tour is private and possible to customize it for sure. This subterranean structure was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in 532. The largest surviving Byzantine cistern in Istanbul, it was constructed using 336 columns, many of which were salvaged from ruined temples and feature fine carved capitals. Its symmetry and sheer grandeur of conception are quite breathtaking.