Istanbul Classics with Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace & Grand Bazaar
If this is your first time in this great city this tour is a must for you. Istanbul is a city which has a lot of history including Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman traces.
Options
Istanbul Classics with Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace & Grand Bazaar
Pickup included
What's included in Istanbul Classics with Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace & Grand Bazaar
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
The ancient Aya Sofya, often called Hagia Sophia in English and one of Istanbul’s most iconic and enduring monuments at nearly 15 centuries old, has been converted from a museum back into a mosque with a recent decree from Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The building has been classified as a museum since 1934 after a declaration from Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the first Turkish president and founder of the Republic of Turkey. The structure, considered a jewel of Byzantine architecture, was originally built as a cathedral in 537 CE by Roman Emperor Justinian I. Aya Sofya also had an almost five-century stint as a mosque when the Ottomans conquered Istanbul, then called Constantinople, in 1453 and converted the building into a religious space for Muslims.
Caferaga Medresesi
This lovely little building tucked away in the shadow of Aya Sofya was designed by Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan on the orders of Cafer Ağa, Süleyman the Magnificent's chief black eunuch. Built in 1560 as a school, it now houses a cultural organisation that teaches and promotes traditional Turkish handicrafts. The courtyard is home to the unassuming Caferağa Medresesi Çay Bahçesi where it's possible to enjoy a glass of tea or simple meal.
Blue Mosque
İstanbul's most photogenic building was the grand project of Sultan Ahmet I (r 1603–17), whose tomb is located on the north side of the site facing Sultanahmet Park. The mosque's wonderfully curvaceous exterior features a cascade of domes and six slender minarets. Blue İznik tiles adorn the interior and give the building its unofficial but commonly used name.
Inclusions
- Pick up from hotel is included. Drop off is extra
- Topkapı Palace entrance ticket is included. (Harem part is extra charge)
- Hagia Irene Museum ticket is icnluded.
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Drop off to hotel is extra charge (20 USD per transfer up to 4 people)
- Lunch
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
Choose to be picked up from a list of locations
Please arrive at the pick up point 60 minutes before departure time.
Additional Information
Please let us know if your pick up place is not listed here.
