Day 01
Classical Istanbul Landmarks
- Start the tour at the Hippodrome and see the heart of Constantinople's political and sporting life, as well as the scene of games and riots throughout 500 years of Ottoman history. The site of the arena later became a public square, as it still is today, and was given the appropriate name of At Meydanı, the "Square of Horses".
- Visit the Blue Mosque, built by Sultan Ahmet I between 1609 and 1616. Located in the old Istanbul district named after this Ottoman sultan, it is distinguished by its six slender minarets. Because of the intricately decorated blue, green, and red tiles in its interior, it has long been referred to as the Blue Mosque.
- Head to Hagia Sophia, one of the most extraordinary buildings in the history of architecture. It served as the cathedral of Byzantine Constantinople for more than a thousand years, and then, for nearly five centuries after the Turkish conquest, it functioned as a mosque. It was deconsecrated and converted into a museum in 1934.
- See the Şerefiye Cistern, one of the Roman city's three major cisterns. Although it is smaller than the Basilica Cistern and the Binbirdirek Cistern, both in terms of columns and area, it is approximately 1,600 years old and older than the other two famous cisterns.
- Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
- Move to Topkapı Palace, which was the imperial residence of the Ottoman sultans and the administrative heart of the empire for more than four centuries. In addition to its historical and architectural interest, it houses important collections of porcelain, armor, costumes, and jewelry, along with many precious objects and works of art.
- Stroll through the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered bazaars in the world. The Grand Bazaar covers 30,700 square meters and features more than 60 streets and alleys, along with 4,000 shops.
