Your small-group Istanbul tour will start from the hippodrome, the place where the chariot races were held in the Roman Empire times, and today hosts the German Fountain. After that you will admire the Blue Mosque. Built in the early 1600s for Sultan Ahmet I, Blue Mosque is truly a magnificent masterpiece of architecture with amazingly delicate proportions for a building of such massive scale.
Next stop will be Hagia Sophia, where the ancient cultures of East and West speak to you with a yet clear voice. Built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian, it played a very important role in the Christian and Islamic World. After the Ottoman conquest the bells, altar, iconoclastic, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and many of the mosaics were eventually plastered over to convert the church into a mosque, then a museum in 1934. In July 2020 it is converted into a mosque again.
Topkapi Palace is also on the list! It is more than just an Imperial Residence of Ottoman Sultans, it was the seat of the Supreme Executive and Judiciary Council for almost 400 years long. The last stop will be the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world with over 4,000 shops. The tour ends in Grand Bazaar / Kapali Carsi.
