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Istanbul owes its historic importance & its amazing cultural & architectural heritage to its perfect strategic location, straddling the Bosphorus straits which separate Europe & Asia Minor. Istanbul has a foot in each, celebrating the best of both heritages. As Byzantium, Constantinople & finally, Istanbul, it has been the capital of three Empires, each leaving their mark in the form of stunning palaces, castles, mosques, churches & monuments. The legacy of its chequered past can be seen on every turn of the modern city. Istanbul is a city of contrasts, bustling with the cacophony of 21st century life, & is yet achingly beautiful. Through most of its 2,500 year-long history, the city has been a cultural melting pot... |
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Istanbul Classics We will leave hotel in the morning to visit the Sultanahmet Square & the spectacular Blue Mosque decorated with beautiful 17th century Iznik tiles. Then stroll around the historical Hippodrome where chariot races were once held. Continue with the Hagia Sophia / St. Sophia & Museum. An early Christian church, later converted to a mosque under Ottoman rule, this magnificent temple now serving as a museum with all the artefacts from the Byzantine era intact, is especially famous for its mosaics. After lunch, we will visit the Topkapi Palace Museum, the residence of the legendary Ottoman Sultans, now converted into a museum. It consists of several exhibition halls, such as the Treasury, the porcelain section, Armoury & Holy Relics. We will complete this historical day with a visit to the Grand Bazaar & return to the hotel for overnight. Istanbul Oriental We leave hotel in the morning to visit the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, which is a complex of three museums: the Museum of Oriental Antiquities, the Archaeological Museum & the Tiled Pavilion, which has one of the world's richest collection of classical artefacts & pre-classical treasures. Then we visit the Underground Cistern, also known as Basilica Cistern because it lay beneath the once Stoa Basilica. The Basilica Cistern was built by Justinian after the bloody Nika Revolt in 532, it was used as a reservoir for water storage for the Great Palace & other buildings on the 1st Hill. Because of its magic atmosphere & great acoustics, this cistern is now hosting many Classical Music Concerts. We walk across to the Museum of Turkish & Islamic Art from the 16th Century as residence for Ibrahim Pasa. It was the grandest private residence ever built in the Ottoman Empire. Today it holds a superb collection of ceramics, miniatures, calligraphy, textiles & woodwork as well as some of the oldest carpets in the world. Istanbul Bosphorus We will take you to Spice Market, still in use as one of the world’s largest spice bazaars since 1665. Next, we will board the ferries across the Bosphorus which will take us to both European & Asian sides of the city. This beautiful voyage will take you along the shores of Bosphorus & you will see the Rumeli Fortress from the 15th century as well as the seaside summer palaces & unique wooden houses of the area, as well as the natural beauty of the forests above. The last stop on the cruise is the fishing village of Sariyer, close to the Black Sea. From there on we will drive you by coach via Bosphorus Bridge to take you to Camlica Hill on the Asian side. Camlica is the highest summit in Istanbul where you will enjoy breathtaking views of Istanbul. We will visit the Beylerbeyi Palace, the summer residence of the royal Ottoman family with original furniture & magnificent gardens. After the tour, you will be transferred your hotel. Istanbul Pera Meeting your guide at hotel lobby & continue to Taksim Square & walk to Istiklal Caddesi. When 19th-century travelers spoke of Constantinople (Istanbul) as the Paris of the East, they were thinking of the Grande Rue de Pera (Istiklal Caddesi) & its half-European, half-Asian culture. See the Church of St. Anthony, established in 1725 to serve transient foreigners & the many families who stayed on in the Sultan's dominions. Afterwards, walk to the historic Pera Palas Hotel, built to accommodate the pampered travelers arriving aboard the Orient Express including Agatha Christie. Afterwards walk to the Galata district & see the Galata Tower, which has dominated Beyoglu's skyline since 1348 & still offers stunning panoramic views of the city. From there we walk back to hotel via Galata Bridge & Sirkeci Train Station. Princes' Islands After meeting at your hotel lobby, we will take the morning ferry ride to Buyukada, the biggest of the Princess Islands which used to be the summer resort for the wealthy non-Muslim community. There will be a tour of the Island by horse drawn carriages, a wonderful patio lunch & free time to do shopping, walking around the island (where there is no motor vehicles traffic). You will feel as though you have stepped back into a more leisured & gracious age, almost expecting grand 19th century ladies & gentlemen to come strolling down to the waterfront on an afternoon promenade. Or, you may just lie down in the sun & relax. Lunch will be at one of the many excellent traditional fish-restaurants on the waterfront, gazing across the water at the Asian shore of Istanbul, so close though it feels worlds away. A ferry ride in the evening will take us back to the city & drive to your hotel for overnight. If you are planning to visit Istanbul & not exactly sure what day tour would save you time or cover your interest, our Istanbul day trips have proved to be very popular by visitors & appealing to both first-time traveler as well as experienced traveler. Explore the great historical & cultural wonders of Istanbul & flight distance cities such as Ephesus, Cappadocia, Antalya, Fethiye, Bodrum, Marmaris, Gallipoli, Troy, Bursa, Izmir & more... All of our Istanbul travel packages are size restricted (average 14 pax) & are conducted with modern state of the art motor-coaches & is accompanied by our professional tour guide that speaks the language of guests onboard. If you don't see exactly what you want here, please ask. We are experts at planning special Istanbul itineraries. Let us help you experience a journey of a lifetime in Istanbul, because we are the "Tour Operator that Speaks your Language!" Istanbul tours & Turkey travel packages |
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Divanyolu Caddesi No:34 Sultanahmet - Istanbul /
TURKEY 34122 |
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Association of Turkish Travel Agencies TURSAB Member No: A1855 |
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