Day 01
Imperial Istanbul Highlights and Bosphorus Experience
- We will begin our tour of the Sultanahmet district, the heart of old Istanbul, at Hagia Sophia. Built by Emperor Justinian in the early 6th century AD and designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isodore of Miletus, the church is one of the marvels of world architecture. Converted into a mosque in 1453, it is now a museum. Its massive dome still dominates the skyline of old Istanbul. It is also famed for its mosaics, including glittering portraits of emperors and empresses and a poignant Virgin and Child.
- Next, we will visit the Blue Mosque, which takes its name from the exquisite tiles adorning its interior. Built by Sultan Ahmet I in the early 17th century and designed by a pupil of Sinan, the greatest of Ottoman architects, it is the only imperial mosque with six minarets. Its courtyard is especially grand.
- Afterwards, head to the Hippodrome, the stadium of ancient Byzantium, which held 100,000 spectators and featured objects from all corners of the empire. Of these, an Egyptian obelisk and a bronze sculpture of three entwined serpents from Delphi survive.
- Continue the tour to the Grand Bazaar, the commercial heart of the old city, where 4,000 shops are full of treasures including carpets and kilims, silks, jewellery, ceramics, icons, and leather goods. Wandering through the Grand Bazaar, indulge in some shopping, Ottoman style.
- Later, move to Topkapı Palace, which was the principal residence of the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to the 19th century.
- We will visit the fabulous Imperial Treasury and the Baghdad Kiosk. Topkapı Palace is now a museum and has unrivalled collections of jewellery, including the Spoonmaker's Diamond, the 3rd largest in the world. It also possesses numerous Ottoman court costumes and ceramics, notably including one of the world's finest collections of Chinese celadon ceramics, as well as many gifts from other rulers. Interestingly, some of the ceramics have a special glaze that was said to change colour in the presence of poison.
- We will also go to the Imperial Armory, displaying centuries of Ottoman weaponry. But perhaps the loveliest feature of Topkapı Palace is its courtyards' ancient trees; it is easy to imagine the sultan strolling here far from the cares of state and empire.
- Our next stop, Hagia Eirene, the Church of the Holy Peace, is one of the few churches in Istanbul that was never converted into a mosque, as it was used as an arsenal until the 19th century. Hagia Eirene reputedly stands on the site of a pre-Christian temple and has the distinction of being the first church built in Byzantium after it became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
- From there, we will proceed to Gülhane Park, once part of the outer gardens of Topkapı Palace, where the Edict of Gülhane, a declaration of rights and liberties, played an essential role in the modernization of the Ottoman Empire. After the proclamation of the Republic, Gülhane Park was for many years home to the Istanbul Zoo.
