GENERAL INFORMATION AND CONDITIONS FOR THE TOURS

Tour fees include transportation, guide and entrance fees.

A minimum of ten participants per tour is required.

DAILY TOUR #1

Date: 16.05.2007

Price: 35 Euro

HAGIA SOPHIA MUSEM

Hagia Sophia, which is considered as one of the eight wonders of the world, also occupies a prominent place in the history of art and architecture. It is one of the rare works of this size and age that has survived to our day. The church (called Ayasofya in Turkish) is erroneously known as Saint Sophia in the west. The basilica was not dedicated to a saint named Sophia, but to Divine Wisdom. This was the site of a pagan temple, and the three separate basilicas built here in different times were all called by the same name.

SULTAN AHMET MOSQUE (THE BLUE MOSQUE)

One of the most famous monuments of Turkish and Islamic art, the mosque is visited by all who come to Istanbul and gains their admiration. This imperial mosque is an example of classical Turkish architecture, and it is the only mosque that was originally built with six minarets. It is surrounded by other important edifices of Istanbul, built at earlier ages. Istanbul is viewed best from the sea and the mosque is part of this magnificent scenery. Although it is popularly known as the Blue Mosque, its real name is Sultan Ahmet Mosque. Befitting his original profession, its architect Mehmet Aga decorated the interior fastidiously like a jeweler.

TOPKAPI PALACE

Topkapi is the largest and oldest palace in the world to survive to our day. In 1924 it was turned into a museum at Atatiirk's request. Situated on the acropolis, the site of the first settlement in Istanbul, it commands an impressive view of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. The palace is a complex surrounded by 5 km of walls and occupies an area of 700,000 sq. m at the tip of the historical peninsula. Following the conquest of the city in 1453, the young Sultan Mehmet moved the capital of the empire to Istanbul, His first palace was located in the middle of the town. The second palace, which he built in the 1470's, was initially called the New Palace, but in recent times it came to be known as the Topkapi Palace. Topkapi is a classical example of Turkish palace architecture.

DAILY TOUR #2

Date: 17.05.2007

Price: 35 Euro

KARIYE MUSEUM

The word "chora" means "outside the city, the countryside". Probably, a small church built here before the erection of the 5th century Roman city walls gave its name to the later churches built on the same site. The present-day edifice is dated to the llth-14th centuries. Besides its attractive exterior, the mosaics and frescoes inside are considered masterpieces of the Byzantine "renaissance". These decorations and the additions made in the 14th century were ordered by Theodore Metochites. Mosaic panels in the two narthexes at the entrance depict the lives of the Virgin and Christ in the chronological order described in the Bible.

EYUP SULTAN MOSQUE

The Mosque and Mausoleum of Eyüp Sultan, located outside the corner where the land walls meet the walls along the Golden Horn, is considered a sacred site for Moslems. Eyüp-el-Ensari was a standard-bearer of Mohammed and he died-here during an Arabic siege of the city in the 7th century. His grave was discovered at the conquest and later the mausoleum and the first mosque in Istanbul were built on this site. The original mosque was destroyed in an earthquake and the present one was constructed in its place in 1800.

THE COVERED (GRAND) BAZAAR

The oldest and largest covered bazaar in the world is situated in the heart of the city. One cannot appreciate this market without visiting it. It resembles a giant labyrinth with approximately sixty lanes and more than three thousand shops. The bazaar consisted originally of two 15th century buildings with thick walls that were covered with a series of domes. In later centuries the streets around these buildings developed and were covered and new additions were made, turning it into a trading center. In the past each lane was reserved for a different profession and the handicrafts produced here were rigorously controlled. Business ethics and traditions were strictly adhered to. All types of jewelry, fabrics, weaponry and antiques were sold by merchants whose expertise in the trade went back for generations.

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