What You Will Do
Istanbul Private Guided Tours company offers a unique guided tour to explore such a beautiful city together with a professional licensed Tour Guide. With this Private guided tour historical places can be visited easily with short distances by walking and during this tour you will see the most visited sights from the Roman and Ottoman periods
BRIEFLY :
1- BLUE MOSQUE : 400 year old mosque that built by the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century AD.
2- HAGIA SOPHIA : 1500 hundred year old church from the 6th century-Roman time right now partly mosque and museum
3- TOPKAPI PALACE 500 year old imperial palace of Ottoman Empire closed on Tuesdays
4 Basilica cistern : underground water tank from the 6th century AD by the Roman Empire to provide the water to the city .
4 HIPODROM the area where chariot races were held
5 -Grand bazaar: 500 year old bazaar from the ottoman time together with 3500 shops inside . It is closed on Sundays
Note : the tour will be over when itinerary is done
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Itinerary
Meeting Point
The meeting point is right in front of the 1500 hundred year old Hagia Sophia mosque-in the past originally church ( today partly museum ).
Ask for the main entrance gate which is for Turkish citizens.
If your hotel is around the old city we can still meet you there . Just let us know please
1
Blue Mosque
30 minutes
1- BLUE MOSQUE
Blue mosque is a 400 hundred year old imperial mosque which was built by the Ottoman Empire in the 17.th century AD.
• It is famous for its twenty thousands blue ceramic tiles. Inside, you are going to see the beautiful blue tiles of the mosque together stained glass windows .
•This 400-hundred year old mosque takes its name from these tiles
• There is a dress code for visiting the mosque;
Woman need headscarf and long dresses and men need long dresses that cover their knees .
2
Hagia Sophia Mosque
40 minutes
2- HAGIA SOPHIA
Hagia Sophia is one of the oldest cathedrals of Constantinople and it was built by the Eastern Roman Empire in the 6th century AD. And still standing for 1500 years with its huge dome. It is Hagia Sophia
• It was used as a cathedral for about a thousand years during the Roman period and then it was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman Empire took over the city in 1453
• Today it is partly used as a mosque and museum together.
Inside, you will see icons and motifs from the Roman period and additions from the Ottoman period
•There is a dress code to enter.
Headscarves and long dresses are mandatory for women to cover the legs , and long dresses that cover the knees are mandatory for men.
3
Topkapi Palace Museum
1 hour 30 minutes
3- TOPKAPI PALACE
Topkapi palace is an imperial palace with a large complex that hosted the 600-year-old Ottoman empire for about 400 years.
It is was built by the ottoman sultan Mehmet the II. In the 15th century AD. after capturing Constantinople.
•It was used as the residence of ottoman sultans and the imperial palace of the empire .
•in many rooms you will see objects from the Ottoman period such as Jewels , swords and weapons.
Attention;
• Topkapi palace is closed on Tuesdays .
•(Tour guides are not allowed to speak in “some “private exhibition rooms of the palace )
4
Basilica Cistern
30 minutes
4- BASILICA CISTERN
It was built as underground water tank in the 6th century AD by the Roman Empire to provide the water to the city . Today it is used as a museum since it is not an active tank anymore.
When you go down approximately 10 meters underground, you will feel in a mysterious underground city together with so many pillars and colorful lights .
5
Grand Bazaar
1 hour
5- GRAND BAZAAR
Grand bazaar is a 500 year old historical market&bazaar from the ottoman time and it was built in 1461 . Inside there are 3.500. Shops for , ceramic , spice , sweets , delight , jewelry and hand made rugs . As part of the market you can visit workshops with your guide .
Grand bazaar is closed on sundays
6
Hippodrome
20 minutes
6- HIPPODROME
•The square we call the hippodrome today was built by Emperor Constantine the Great in the 4th century AD after he chose the city as the new capital of the Roman Empire
•The hippodrome was basically used for chariot races and it was the most popular activity in the city .
•Today in the hippodrome you will see the Egyptian obelisk from Egypt, the serpent column from Greece, the German fountain from Germany and the walled obelisk from the city.
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