HIGHLIGHTS OF THE OLD TOWN ISTANBUL Full Day / Half Day

Sultanahmet Mosque  also known as Blue Mosque , is  built in the 17th century  across Hagia Sophia. It is  commissioned by the 14th Ottoman Sultan  Ahmet to become a sultan at the age of 14 . It is known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior of Blue İznik tiles, and the rest of the decor with dominant blue colour – the stained glass and the painted floral decorations.

Because of extensive restorations, most of the interior  is  covered up, some limited features are available to view:   The main dome, the apse and a central space is available for the visitor to appreciate the interior.  A very impressive substitute is Suleymaniye mosque:

Famous Sultan Suleyman’s 16.th century mosque , is one of the two sites from the book 1000 places to see before you die is Suleymaniye Mosque (the other site is Cagaloglu Bath) .

This labyrinth of streets and passages include more than 4.000 shops with  their own trade areas; The goldsmith’s market, carpet sellers, Turkish art and crafts such as hand-made copper goods, brass jewels and boxes, onyx jewels and meerschaums. Our unparalled route here will include some lesser known , or rather hidden  Byzantine and Ottoman features, legends, stories old and new.

The great palace of the Ottoman sultans from 15th century to 19th century, which houses an exquisite collection of precious gems, thrones of sultans made of jewelery, robes worn by the sultans and their families, and miniatures, the Holy Mantle Chamber of Sacred Relics.(Harem is not included in the programme due to additional entrance fee.)