Byzantine & Ottoman Relics Tour

Join our fully guided tour to explore Istanbul's unbelievable attractions! Learn more about the most iconic Byzantine and Ottoman treasures on this guided full-day tour!

Highlights:

• Hippodrome

• Blue Mosque

• Hagia Sophia

• Basilica Cistern

• Topkapı Palace

• Grand Bazaar

Includes:

• Bus transfer

• A guide

• Entrance fee

• Lunch

Please note: this experience is held daily.

The Hagia Sophia Museum will be our first stop on our walking tour. The Hagia Sophia is a beautiful building built as a cathedral by Emperor Justinian more than 1,500 years ago. When the Ottomans conquered Istanbul, it was converted into a mosque. It is now a museum where you may learn about its Christian and Islamic past. The Blue Mosque will be our next stop, which derives its name from the 20,000 blue, handmade ceramic tiles that cover the inside walls. It's a stunning sight to witness! The mosque also has six distinctive minarets. The Hippodrome will be seen outside the mosque. This was once the center of a busy town where people went to watch chariot races and other fun things. The Obelisk of Theodosius, the Column of Constantine, and the German Fountain of Kaiser Wilhelm II now adorn the plaza.

Your tour guide will tell you about the fascinating history of these antiques. Then we'll visit the Basilica Cistern, also known as the Cisterna Basilica, the biggest of several hundred ancient cisterns underneath Istanbul. The cistern was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in the sixth century. It is 150 meters (490 feet) southwest of Hagia Sophia on the old peninsula of Sarayburnu. The water filtering system for the Great Palace of Constantinople and other buildings on First Hill was built into the cistern that was made bigger. After the Ottomans took over in 1453, it kept giving water to the Topkapi Palace until the present day.

The Grand Bazaar will be the tour's last destination. It is one of the world's biggest and oldest covered marketplaces. It receives between 250,000 and 400,000 tourists every day! You can find one-of-a-kind silks, spices, foods, jewelry, carpets, leather items, and other souvenirs in the shops, so be sure to list what you want to buy – it’s too easy to get distracted here!