Explore the Old Istanbul, a city that hosted generations of different nations and holds remains from all of them. Istanbul is a city that lives in the middle of the East and the West, and naturally carries the marks from both cultures. This tour allows you to visit beautiful places where big emperors used to live. This tour will take you to some of the most important places in Istanbul such as the Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, Harem, Sultanahmet Square and Blue Mosque.
Tour Route
Topkapı Palace – Hagia Sophia – Harem – Sultanahmet Square – Blue Mosque
This tour takes place every Monday – Wednesday – Thursday – Saturday.
History of the Places We Will Visit
Topkapı Palace is one of the oldest structures built during the first years of the Ottoman Empire reign. Seven years after the invasion of Constantinopole in 1453, the construction of Topkapı Palace started with the special request of Fatih Sultan Mehmet. The people who visit this museum walk in Fatih Sultan Mehmet’s and other Ottoman emperors footsteps! Throughout the years, Topkapı Palace gained many additional buildings. Today, it is the oldest and largest museum of the Republic of Turkey.
When visiting Topkapı Palace, we strongly advise you to visit the Harem as well. The harem is a place in Muslim homes where women spend their time together. The harems of old Ottoman emperors are really big and spacious. The Harem contained both foreign women and women that are blood-related to the emperor.
After Topkapı Palace, the tours moves on to Hagia Irene. Hagia Irene is an Eastern Orthodox Church, located really close to the Topkapı Palace. Hagia Irene was constructed before Hagia Sophia and is regarded as the first completed church in Constantinopole. In contrast to the Hagia Sophia, the Hagia Irene has not been used as a mosque. Today it is used as a museum and a concert hall at times.
Hagia Sophia is one of the oldest buildings in Istanbul, built in 537. It holds great value, both due to its architectural beauty and religious value. Hagia Sophia has been used as a place of prayer for many people throughout centuries. Hagia Sophia has been used as a church, a mosque and a museum. It remained a museum until 2020, right now it is a mosque. Hagia Sophia can be seen as the biggest tourist attraction of Istanbul, if not all of Turkey.
The Blue Mosque, also known as Sultanahmet Mosque, is another beautiful and huge mosque located right next to the Hagia Sophia. People who visit this place can see the differences between the two mosques. They carry different symbolism due to the difference of religion and architecture. The Blue Mosque was constructed in 1612 and has been used as a mosque ever since. The Blue Mosque was decorated with a special style called “İznik style”, in which blue tiles are used to create a beautiful pattern.
After the tours of the mosque tours, we visit the Hippodrome in order to examine the historical artifacts and monuments. We also stop at local shops to buy souvenirs and Turkish food such as baklava and Turkish delight.
This tour is perfect for those who want to experience the atmosphere of old Istanbul. You will be walking in some of the oldest buildings in Istanbul and admire the same walls that hosted emperors for centuries.