SPLENDORS OF EMPIRE
Duration: Full day (08:30 to 17:30)
Price: 80 Euro (per person)
Run: Everyday

After pick up from hotel or Istanbul cruise port, we will start the full day guided tour of Istanbul, for the visits to:

Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque): This mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I during 1609-1616 in the square carrying his name in Istanbul. It is the only mosque in Turkey with six minarets. The central dome is 43 m in height and is 33.4 m in diameter. 260 windows surround the mosque. Due to its beautiful blue, green and white tilings it has been named the "Blue Mosque" by Europeans. The inscriptions were made by Seyyid Kasim Gubari.

Roman Hippodrome and Obelisk: The ancient Hippodrome, scene of chariot races and the centre of Byzantine civic life, stands in the area that is now in front of the Blue Mosque, and now part of Sultanahmet. Of the ornaments which once decorated it, only three remain: The Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. Remains of the curved end of the Hippodrome wall can be seen on the southwest side of the three.

Hagia Sophia Basilica: Hagia Sophia basalica was built during the reign of Emperor Theodosius and burned down in the fire of Nika Revolt in 532 A.D. during the reign of Justinian. The same year Justinian ordered to build a new basilica, the one we can see today, and only five years later, 537 AD, it was opened to the public. In 1453, with the conquest of Istanbul, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror converted the church into a mosque. Hagia Sophia Museum, the legacy of both Christian and Muslim culture, was opened for visits according to the order of Ataturk and decision of the Turkish Assembly of Ministers on the 1st of February, 1935.

Grand Covered Bazaar: This bazaar was first built by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror and was expanded during the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566), and reached its present form in 1701. Its extends over 65 streets, covering an area of 30.702 square meters. It contains a mosque, 21 inns, two vaulted bazaars, seven fountains, a well and 3300 shops. It possesses 18 gates, eight of them large, ten of then smaller. It has survived five fires, and has been restored and repaired and has reached our present times.

Topkapi Palace: One of the most astounding and popular places to visit in Istanbul is Topkapi Palace, the symbolic and political centre of the Ottoman Empire in between the 15th and 19th centuries. It stands on the tip of land where the Golden Horn, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus come together, and is a maze of buildings centered around a series of courtyards, typical of Islamic tradition. It was built in between 1466 and 1478, a couple of years before the death of Fatih. There were originally 750 residents of the Palace, during Fatih’s period, which became drastically more congested reaching 5000 during normal days and 10,000 during festivals. (Harem section is excluded)

Rustem Pasha Mosque: It was designed by Mimar Sinan ("Sinan the Architect") for Grand Vizier Rustem Pasha (who married one of the daughters of Suleyman the Magnificent, Princess Mihrimah). Its building took place from 1561 to 1563. The mosque is famous for its exquisite Iznik tiles, set in beautiful floral and geometric designs, which cover not only the facade of the porch but also the mihrab, minbar, walls, and columns.

After the tour, you will be transferred back to the hotel or Istanbul cruise port.

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Please take note of the following:
* 30% discount for children below the age 7, free for the ages 0-2
* Haghia Sophia Museum is closed on Monday, Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday; replaced with Kariye (St. Savior in Chora) Museum
* Grand Covered Bazaar is closed on Sunday
* The order of visiting sights, may vary slightly from time to time
* Clothing: Entrance to Mosques and Churches visited in our tours is not allowed to gentlemen and ladies with no proper outfit
* You are kindly requested to present your self at the pick up point 15 minutes prior the pre advised pick up time
* Smoking is not permitted but all tours make frequent stops

What's Included:
* Pick up and drop off at your Hotel or Cruise Port
* Transportation by air-conditioned non-smoking tour coaches
* Professional Guide licensed by the Ministry of Tourism
* All entrance fees to the archaeological sites and museums, parking and road tolls
* Lunch at local restaurant (drinks extra)
* Local taxes