Topkapi Palace + Harem

We will visit with you one of the most popular and most visited palaces in Istanbul – Topkapi Palace. Located in the historical area 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 thousands of years of history and secrets of the Ottoman Empire.

Topkapi Palace was built by Fatih Sultan Mehmed after the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottoman Empire.

Topkapi was the administrative, educational and artistic center of the Ottoman Empire, for about 400 years until the arrival of the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdülmecid. At one time, the palace served as a residence for sultans and their families.

Harem

Walking through the palace, we will visit the most mysterious and fascinating, with its architectural details, part of it - the Harem. Walking through the Harem, which has about 400 interconnected rooms, fascinates and inspires every visitor.

It is quite easy to get lost in this part of the palace, many rooms, corridors, various apartments and small courtyards similar to each other can easily seem like labyrinths with no 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 has been reconstructed three times due to the damage caused to it, after the fire and riots in the city. For 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 arrival 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 important structures of the 17th century, is a masterpiece built in the special style of the great Turkish architect Mimar Sinan.

The Blue Mosque got its name from the blue mosaics laid out inside and outside the building.

Sultanahmet Mosque is a temple where grandeur, elegance, magnificence, faith and sincerity are combined.

Hippodrome Square

This is not the end of our walk, we will go with you to the open-air square of the Byzantine period. 

You will see the arena where the Emperor watched the matches from his private box "Kathisma". It was the Hippodrome Square that became the scene of the riots that changed the course of history, as well as the passionate applause of the fans.

This story is about 2000 years old. A story was written in the square, which first witnessed the excitement of the horse races and then the horror of the executions.

Although the architects of the time left their mark on history during the transition from Byzantium to the Ottoman Empire, they respected this square and showed it without touching the works of the past. 

The Hippodrome, which was called the Horse Square during Ottoman rule, hosted festivals, parades, and chariot races.

And the last place that 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