2 Day Best of Istanbul Private Shore Excursions

ONCE A CHURCH, LATER A MOSQUE.

Masterpiece Of The History Of Architecture:

The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque / Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi, with its innovative architecture, rich history, religious significance and extraordinary characteristics has been fighting against time for centuries, is the largest Eastern Roman Church in Istanbul. Constructed three times in the same location, it is the world’s oldest and fastest-completed cathedral. With its breathtaking domes that look like hanging in the air, monolithic marble columns and unparalleled mosaics, is one of the wonders of world’s architecture history.

Explore the grandeur of Ottoman architecture at the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii), located on Istanbul’s Old City peninsula. Opened in 1616 to rival the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) across the way, the six minarets punctuating the Istanbul skyline and 20,000 blue Iznik tiles decorating its interior are designed to inspire awe.   The Basics The Blue Mosque is one of Istanbul’s top attractions and offers the opportunity to visit an active place of worship in the historical Sultanahmet neighborhood. Stroll through the airy courtyard and pause to soak up the atmosphere inside the mosque’s vast and curvaceous interior under cascading domes.   Most small-group and private tours combine a visit to the Blue Mosque with a broader exploration of the Sultanahmet neighborhood, including the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Hippodrome, and Grand Bazaar.

Built in the third century, the Hippodrome was the home of now-named Istanbul’s sporting entertainment during the Byzantine era, with a wide track for chariot racing. Today, the route of the old track is covered by Sultanahmet Square (Sultanahmet Meydani), a wide open space in the center of the old city, punctuated by ancient obelisks. The Basics The current Hippodrome traces the course of the ancient race track, though the actual remains are still underground. The square contains the Obelisk of Theodosius, a pink, Egyptian-made granite column that was brought to Istanbul in the fourth century and is one of the oldest monuments in the city. Also here are a spiralled obelisk that came from the temple of Apollo, the Walled Obelisk, and the German Fountain, a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm in the early 20th century. Some small-group and private tours combine a visit to the Hippodrome with other sights in Sultanahmet, including the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Basilica Cistern.

Behold the imperial complex of Ottoman sultans at Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Sarayi), the royal residence in Istanbul throughout the first 400 years of the Ottoman Empire. The palace contains myriad buildings and courtyards, including a treasury, harems, an armory, imperial halls, and royal chambers—all with intricate Iznik tilework and opulent architecture. The Basics To understand the history of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, explore the vast Topkapi Palace. The complex has elegant chambers, landscaped grounds, and small museum collections to admire, as well as a viewpoint over the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.   Guided tours, which can offer a more comprehensive experience of the palace, often allow you to skip the long entry lines with a guide, and usually include a visit to the palace’s harem section. Many Istanbul sightseeing tours combine Topkapi Palace with an exploration of the other top sights in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district,

Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar (Kapali Çarsi) is the ultimate covered market. Its 5,000+ vendors hawk carpets, beaded bracelets, gold and silver jewelry, multicolored lanterns, leather goods, ceramics, belly-dancing outfits, and more. With goods that span all price ranges, you’ll find the perfect souvenir in the bazaar’s labyrinthine alleys.   The Basics Getting lost in the Grand Bazaar is part of the experience, as every twist and turn reveals interesting Turkish goods. Built in the 15th century during the Ottoman era, the market remains an active and lively center of commerce—and today, tourism—in Istanbul.

The historical Egyptian Bazaar is one of the largest bazaars in the city of Istanbul. The market was the international trade center of the Ottoman. Today, it is a colourful and authentic bazaar famous for its herbalists and many interesting souvenirs, also the most famous covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar.

Its name is Egyptian Bazaar because it was built with the revenues from the Ottoman eyalet of Egypt in 1660. The bazaar is the center for spice trade in Istanbul. Spice Bazaar has a total of 85 shops selling spices, Turkish delight and other sweets, jewellery, souvenirs, and dried fruits and nuts.

No visit to Istanbul is complete without stopping by the atmospheric Spice Bazaar.

Make sure to visit the Egyptian Bazaar, more colourful and vibrant in Ramadan than their usual.

Explore the sights of the European side of the city for around 1 hour, passing historical monuments such as Galata Tower, Dolmabahçe Palace, Çırağan Palace, the Ortaköy Mosque and the fortress of Rumelihisarı, built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in the 15th century.

Continue to the second bridge to head to the Asian side of Istanbul. Visit Küçüksu Palace, built in the 19th century as a hunting lodge for the Ottoman sultans. Make your way back to the city center, following the Asian coast, and get a look at the Anatolian Fortress (Anadoluhisarı) and Turkey's oldest military school at Kuleli Military High School.

Admire the elaborate Beylerbeyi Palace, built as a summer residence for the Ottoman rulers in the1860s, and see the Maiden’s Tower guarding the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait as you get ready to disembark.

Built in an opulent European style, Dolmabahce Palace (Dolmabahce Sarayi) was the home of the Ottoman sultans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before the fall of the empire. The giant crystal chandeliers, marble staircases, and lush carpets that adorn the interior reflect the shift toward Istanbul’s more European way of thinking. The Basics Designed to echo the contemporary style of luxurious European palaces, Dolmabahce Palace was the idea of Sultan Abdulmecid I. The last six sultans of the Ottoman Empire and the first president of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, all lived in the palace. Today it’s preserved as an extravagant museum, with the gilded details of the early 20th century still visible.

Istiklal Street (İstiklal Caddesi) is the main pedestrian thoroughfare in Istanbul’s European Beyoglu district and an essential cultural center. Stretching from Taksim Square to Tunel Square, the bustling street is lined with late–Ottoman-era buildings built in a variety of architectural styles, ranging from neoclassical to art deco.