5 days
Countries visited Turkey Places visited Chora Church Tekfur Palace Atik Mustafa Pasha Mosque Eski Imaret Mosque Zeyrek Mosque Spice Market The osphorus Uskudar Iskele Mosque Uskudar square Kuzguncuk village eylerbeyi Cengelkoy All accommodation subject to availability. Final accommodation choices will be confirmed after booking. ID 811 - P a g e 1
Your Itinerary Explained Date Place visited : The first part of the text in each day is the itinerary schedule and will explain what you will reakfast normally see/do during this day of your itinerary. --L: The part of the day s text in italics (and comes after the three dashes --- ) is background Lunch information on the places or sites on that day of your itinerary. It is not part of your D: itinerary and may mention places that will not be visited on your itinerary. If you have any Dinner questions please ask us. Travel times where noted are only meant as a guideline. Tour Itinerary Day 1 yzantine tour of After breakfast, you will embark on a full day guided tour of, exploring some of the city s oldest yzantine architectural sites. You will begin by visiting Chora Church and the nearby Tekfur Palace. Afterwards, you will visit Atik Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Eski Imaret Mosque and Zeyrek Mosque. You will finish with a visit to the spice market. Overnight in. --Located outside the original boundaries of Constantinople, Chora Church possesses some of the finest examples of mosaic and fresco work from the late yzantine period. In 1511, the church was converted into a mosque, and since 1945 has been serving as a museum. Tekfur Palace dates from the late 12th century and was used as an imperial residence up until the Ottoman Turks seized Constantinople in 1453. The architecture of Tekfur Palace offers its visitors an interesting insight into typical imperial residencies of the mid-late yzantine period and is one of the few remaining examples of secular architecture from the yzantines. The Atik Mustafa Pasha Mosque was converted from an Eastern Orthodox church by the Ottomans following their conquest of Constantinople. The mosque features a combination of yzantine and Ottoman architecture and has an obscure Christian past. Eski Imaret Mosque is one of the few intact religious buildings from the yzantines in the 11th century, something that offers an important insight into the architecture from this period. Representing a typical example of 12th century yzantine architecture, Zeyrek Mosque is one of only two yzantine churches not to have its exterior altered after the Ottoman conquest. ID 811 - P a g e 2
The fragrant Spice Market was completed in 1664 and served as the final stop for caravans that would travel the Silk Routes. This L-shaped azaar is part of the complex (or kulliye ) of neighbouring New Mosque, who used to receive the rent paid from market stall owners. Day 2 osphorus boat tour After breakfast, you will take a lcoal ferry to the Asian side of the osphorus. From here you will explore one of 's oldest districts including Iskele Mosque, a local seafood market, Kuzguncuk village and Cengelkoy village. Overnight in. --Joining the lack Sea with the smaller south-western Sea of Mamara, the 20 mile-long osphorus has always been a site of great strategic and commercial importance. The desirable traits of providing access to Asia and being particularly narrow has meant that The osphorus has a long history of conflict that dates back to the 5th century C with the Persians. The osphorus shoreline is densely populated and possesses a number of architectural features that demonstrate its rich historical past. Uskudar is one of s 39 districts and is located on the Asian shore of The osphorus. The historic centre of Uskudar was founded before Constantinople, but was captured by the Ottomans a 100 years prior to the conquering of Constantinople in 1453. Completed in 1548, Iskele Mosque is located on the shores of the Uskudar province. With its semi-circle domes and tall minarets, Iskele Mosque shows a developing style from its architect Mimar Sinan- a man whose apprentices would later help design s lue Mosque. The central feauture of Uskudar square is the public Fountain of Ahmed III, something that typifies the 18th century Rococo style of the Ottomans. Kuzguncuk village is located in the Uskudar district and is noted for its strong multicultural past. The presence of synagogues and a Jewish cemetery reflect how the village was once home to a thriving Jewish population that began to settle here from the 15th century. Today, this quiet neighbourhood can be recognised by its colourful 19th century wooden houses that line the streets. eylerbeyi is an affluent neighbourhood in Uskudar that is noted for its 19th century Ottoman palace. erlerbeyi Palace showcases a combination of architectural styles previously seen in Europe and was only used in the summer months by the sultan. Cengelkoy is located in the north-east of the Uskudar district and previously was a thriving fishing community. Cengelkoy is considered one of the most picturesque villages on the osphorus' Asian shore and has a number of Ottoman summer mansions. Day 3 Walking tour reakfast followed by a pick up from your hotel. Full day walking tour of. Overnight in. --- ID 811 - P a g e 3
Day 4 Day 5 Today's walking tour of will start in Sultanahmed Square, visiting also the famous Hippodrome. Next you will visit Sultanahmet Mosque, more famously known as the lue Mosque and famous for its striking blue Iznik tiles and 6 minarets. On the opposite side of the square you will visit Hagha Sophia. Once the grandest church of its era and widely perceived as a work of engineering genius, the Hagha Sophia also has one of the most highly regarded mosaics of Christ and the Mother Mary. Next you will visit Topkapi Palace, home to the Ottoman Sultans for hundreds of years. With its extensive collection of Ottoman artefacts and an incredible jewellery collection you will get an intimate insight into the lives of the Ottoman sultans. The Palace also commands an outstanding location overlooking the osphorus and the Golden Horn so that you can look across to Asia. After visiting Topkapi Palace you will be taken to 's Grand azaar to see one of the oldest and most colourful souks of our time. Walking tour reakfast followed by a pick up from your hotel. Full day walking tour of. Overnight in. --Full day walking tour of starting with the Spice Market and Rustem Pasha Mosque, followed by a 90 minute boat ride in the famous osphorous straight. After the boat ride take the funicular up to Taksim Square, the downtown of. Walk along the pedestrian street of Istiklal, formerly known as "Pera". Located in the historic eyoğlu (Pera) district, it is an elegant street, about a mile long, which houses boutique shops, music stores, bookstores, art galleries, cinemas, theatres, pubs, night clubs, historical patisseries, chocolatiers and restaurants. The avenue is lined with late Ottoman-era buildings (mostly from the 19th and early 20th centuries) that were designed in Neo Classical, Neo Gothic, Renaissance Revival, eaux Arts and Art Nouveau styles, as well as some Turkish styles and a number of more recent examples of modern architecture - from the medieval Genoese neighbourhood around Galata Tower to Taksim Square. The street features the famous hotel, the Orient Express; the Pera Palace Hotel, where Agatha Christie wrote her final novel is also located in the parallel side street to Istiklal. The area also boasts Galata Tower and the first mini subway line in, the World's second oldest subway system after London's, built in 1875, which is still in use today. A free day with no services included. We suggest a visit to the Archaeological Museums of. Overnight in. --Sitting on the osphorus, is one of the world s truly great cities - overflowing with culture and historical sites. World class attractions such as the exquisite Hagia Sofia and the lue Mosque, excellent bars and restaurants, jaw-dropping architecture, vibrant markets and a history of epic proportions makes a city par excellence. ID 811 - P a g e 4
The Archaeological Museums are located in İstanbul's Sultanahmet neighborhood, and is a collection of three museums: the Archaeological Museum, the Ancient Orient Museum and the Tiled Kiosk Museum. There is also an extraordinarily beautiful garden to discover. Housing various artifacts from civilizations from all periods of history, this is of the 10 most important world-class museums, and is also the first institution in Turkey arranged as a museum. esides its spectacular collections, the architectural aspects of its buildings and its garden are of historical and natural importance. The Ancient Orient Museum contains unique treasures such as tiled reliefs of lions and kings from the fabled gates of Ninevah, and the oldest written peace treaty ever discovered. The treaty was drawn up on cuneiform tablets and was between the Hittite and Egyptian kings. (The Egyptian hieroglyphic version of the treaty was carved into stone at the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, Luxor, Egypt.) The Tiled Pavilion is an elegant residence which was built by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror. It has been beautifully restored and is among the oldest Turkish secular buildings in. Some of the museums' artifacts come from the private collection of an Ottoman sultan in the 19th Century. ID 811 - P a g e 5 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)