IMPERIAL & ASIA BEYLERBEYI PALACE TOUR
Combining IMPERIAL & ASIA - BEYLERBEYI TOUR.
Full Day Regular Group Tour
(20-25 people for each group)
THE IMPERIAL TOUR
St. SOPHIA This ancient basilica, built by Constantine the Great, in the 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, is one of the architectural marvels of all time.
SULTANAHMET IMPERIAL MOSQUE Across from St. Sophia built in the 17th century by the architect Mehmet, this is known as the BLUE MOSQUE because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles.
HIPPODROME, The scene of ancient chariot races, the ancient Hippodrome, with its four monuments; the GERMAN FOUNTAIN OF WILHELM II, the OBELISK OF THEDOSIUS, the bronze SERPENTINE COLUMN and the COLUMN OF CONSTANTINE.
BRIEF HANDYCRAFT PRESENTATION & LECTURE (Optional Attendance) next to the Grand Bazaar. Free time to explore Grand Bazaar on your own. 1 hour visit, Meeting back and drive to Lunch.
GRAND BAZAAR (COVERED MARKET) In this labyrinth of streets and passages are more than 4000 shops with each trade having its own area; the goldsmiths’ street, the carpet sellers, Turkish arts and crafts, such as handpainted ceramic plates, hand-honed copperware, brasware and trays, water ewers, onyxware and meerschaum pipers.
We begin our tour of the Sultanahmet district, the heart of old Istanbul, at Hagia Sophia*. Built by the 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 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. The Hippodrome, the stadium of ancient Byzantium, 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. The Grand Bazaar was the commercial heart of the old city and its 4,000 shops are full of treasures including carpets and kilims, silks, jewelry, ceramics, icons, and leather goods. Wandering through the Grand Bazaar, indulge in some shopping, Ottoman style.
LUNCH
ASIA & BEYLERBEYI PALACE TOUR
BOSPHORUS BRIDGE
CAMLICA HILL
GRAND CAMLICA MOSQUE
SEA of MARMARA
OTTOMAN PALACES
PALACE of BEYLERBEYI
We begin by driving across the Bosphorus Bridge, for a time the world’s longest suspension bridge, and head for the summit of Çamlıca Hill and its panoramic views of Istanbul, the Sea of Marmara and the Princes’ Islands. Our next stop is the Grand Çamlıca Mosque, the largest mosque in Turkey, opened in 2019 and was designed by two female architects, Bahar Mızrak and Hayriye Gül Totu. A short drive brings us to the Palace of Beylerbeyi on the shore of the Bosphorus. Perhaps the most elegant late Ottoman palace, Beylerbeyi boasts six sumptuously furnished reception halls with Bohemian crystal chandeliers and Sèvres and Chinese vases, including a main salon with an indoor fountain. The sultans’ guests at the palace included Empress Eugénie of France, Shah Nasruddin of Persia and Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia. (Every day except Mondays.)