Istanbul is a major city in Turkey that straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait. Its Old City reflects cultural influences of the many empires that once ruled here. In the Sultanahmet district, the open-air, Roman-era Hippodrome was for centuries the site of chariot races, and Egyptian obelisks also remain. The iconic Byzantine Hagia Sophia features a soaring 6th-century dome and rare Christian mosaics.
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Enjoy the breakfast at the hotel and we are ready to proceed for a full day program to discover and enjoy this capital city of emperors; Visit Byzantine Hippodrome, in which stand the obelisk brought from Egypt by Theodosius and the Serpent Column taken from Deplhi by Constantine.
Visit St Sophia Museum – means “Divine Wisdom” in Greek, this was an Orthodox church dedicated to holly wisdom. It’s a former Byzantine church and former Ottoman mosque, now located in Sultanahmet neighborhood being one of the most important museums of Istanbul considered as a World Heritage by UNESCO. It is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture.
Visit Blue Mosque – is the most important mosque of Istanbul standing next to the Byzantine Hippodrome in the old city center. It was built by the Ottoman sultan Ahmed I between 1609 – 1616 facing Hagia Sophia, in order to compete with it. This is the only mosque in Istanbul having 6 minarets.
Visit Topkapı Palace – to enjoy the dazzling displays of the Treasures of Ottoman Sultans, and the porcelain collection, which is unique in the world. Topkapı Palace, home of the Ottoman Sultans for nearly 400 years, was the seraglio, the heart of the vast Ottoman Empire.
Visit Grand Bazaar – where was the commercial heart of the old city and its 4,000 shops are full of treasures, including traditional gifts, traditional tastes, silks, ceramics icons and leather goods. Then visit carpet shop.
Breakfast at the hotel .We will take a fresh air today among two continents;
Visit Spice Market – built in 1664, at the southern end of Galata Bridge near the Eminonu ferry docks. Market is /filled with fragrance of the exotic Easts. Spices, dried fruits, nuts and seeds, Turkish delights, etc.
Now we proceed to Eminonu port to embark Private boat for Bosphorus Cruise tour, for 1,5 hrs. – the beautiful strait that divides Europe from Asia. Winding between wooded hills, it is lined with mosques, castles, 19th century mansions, picturesque villages and the extravagant baroque places of the late Ottoman sultans. We will disembark at Ortaköy to have a nice time by visiting Sariyer district. This area has a long shore along the water; the district boasts both a beautiful coastline and a lush forest. You will have a relaxing time at thei picturesque place. Evening at leisure overnight at hotel.
Enjoy morning breakfast at the hotel. We will continue to visit marvels of art;
We will start by crossing Bosphorus Bridge ; also called the First Bosphorus Bridge is one of the two bridges in Istanbul, Turkey spanning the Bosphorus strait (Turkish: Boğaziçi) and thus connecting Europe and Asia. The clearance of the bridge from sea level is 64 m. The Bosphorus Bridge had the 4th longest suspension bridge span in the world when it was completed in 1973, and the longest outside the United States. At present, it is the 15th longest suspension bridge span in the world.
Then we will continue to Camlica Hill; where is an absolutely magnificent view, which makes it well worth the climb. In the morning when the sun is still easterly one has a panoramic sight of the whole city, the Bosphorus almost as far as the Black Sea, the Marmara Sea with the Princes Islands, and behind that, the great snow covered ridge of Uludag, the Bithynian Olympus. Toward evening the sun sets almost directly behind Istanbul and its domes and minarets are silhouetted against the flaming weste.
Then return back to European side to have tea-break at Pierre Loti Hill This is one of the more traditional and conservative areas of the city. This place -after the famous French novelist, orientalist and naval officer Julien Viaud- is a beautiful hill-top overlooking Haliç. Loti arrived in Istanbul in 1876 and stayed for a year. During his stay, he used to frequent a little coffee house, named Rabia Hanım Kıraathanesi, and located on this hill-top. Apart from the magnificent view of the coffee house, Loti’s main reason for his loyal visits was his feelings for a lovely, but married, lady Aziyade. His love was so great that he even wrote a novel after her name. The little coffee house still stands there today, and is known as Pierre Loti Coffee-House. It is frequented often by lovers, solo travelers and residents seeking a respite and trying to reconnect with their inner self. It has thus become a very spiritual and romantic place with magnificent view of the city.
After having a break we will visit The Suleiman Mosque – built on the order of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and constructed by the great Ottoman architect Sinan in 1550.The mosque is 59 meters in length and 58 meters in width. The main dome is 53 meters high and has a diameter of 27.25 meters. Mosque has been renovated recently and re-opened.
