We will visit one of the most popular and most visited palaces in Istanbul – Topkapi Palace. Located in the historical district of the city, on a peninsula, between the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn. This palace is one of the special buildings of the city, it keeps a thousand-year history and secrets of the Ottoman Empire.
Topkapi Palace was built by Fatih Sultan Mehmed after the Ottoman Empire conquered Istanbul.
Topkapi was the administrative, educational and artistic center of the Ottoman Empire, for about 400 years before the arrival of the 31st Ottoman Sultan Abdulmejid. The palace served as a residence for sultans and their families.
harem
Walking around the palace, we will visit the most mysterious and fascinating, with its architectural details, its part is the Harem. Walking around the Garem, which has about 400 interconnected rooms, fascinates and inspires every visitor.
In this part of the palace it is quite easy to get lost, many rooms, corridors, various apartments and small courtyards similar to each other can easily seem mazes without exits and entrances. But we will guide you through each of them, tell you about the secrets, secrets and interests of the stories that took place here.
Hagia Sophia Mosque
After visiting the palace, we will go with you to explore a special and important monument located in the Sultanahmet district, on the historical peninsula of Istanbul - the Hagia Sophia Mosque, which is a symbol of world history and architecture.
The mosque was reconstructed three times due to damage caused to it, after fire and riots in the city. The third time it was reconstructed by order of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian.
Hagia Sophia is considered one of the most important architectural structures in the world, and before the advent of the Ottoman Empire, it was considered the center of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.
Blue Mosque
The Sultanahmet Mosque or Blue Mosque, one of the most important buildings of the 17th century, is a masterpiece built in a special style of the great Turkish architect Mimar Sinan.
The Blue Mosque is named after the blue mosaic laid out inside and outside the building.
The Sultanahmet Mosque is a temple where grandeur, elegance, splendor, faith and sincerity are combined.
Hippodrome Square
Our walk will not end there, we will go with you to the open air area of the Byzantine period.
You will see the arena where the emperor watched the matches from his private lodge Kafisma. It was Hippodrome Square that became the scene of riots that changed the course of history, as well as passionate applause from fans.
This story is about 2,000 years old. A story was written in the square that first witnessed the excitement of horse racing and then the horror of executions.
Although the architects of the time left their mark on history during the transition from Byzantium to the Ottoman Empire, they respected the square and showed it without touching the works of the past.
At the Hippodrome, which during Ottoman rule was called Horse Square, festivals, parades and chariot races were held.
The last place we will visit during our tour is the famous Blue Mosque.
- Services of a licensed guide
- Transportation along the route
- Pick-up from your hotel in Istanbul
- Entrance fees to museums along the route
- Dinner
- Tip