We fly to Istanbul and transfer to the 4 star or 5 star hotel to your own request
Today begins with a guided tour of the sprawling city of Istanbul, starting at the Hippodrome, the most important relic from the city’s Roman period and rebuilt by Constantine in 330 AD. Later we visit German Fountain, Serpentine Column and The Obelisk. For your next we visit the Blue Mosque before proceeding to the Islamic Arts Museum where we see unrivalled collections of decorative arts from all periods of Turkish history displayed in the splendid setting of the Palace of Ibrahim Pasha. Our next station is the ancient Serefiye Cistern built by Roman Emperor Theodosius II. Our day ends at the Topkapi Palace, the Sultan’s residence and the managed centre of the Ottoman Empire. Here we see the dazzling Imperial Treasury and the important collections of ceramics and silver. The Harem Section may be added to your own request
Our day is starting the Hagia Sophia, considered one of the magnicifent examples of Byzantine architecture. It became a mosque in 1453 and served as a model for all future Ottoman mosques. This afternoon, we will wander through Istanbul’s fabled Grand Bazaar, an ideal place to shop for souvenirs including textiles, food, ceramics and spices.
This morning we visit the vast Dolmabahce Palace which served as the centre for the Sultan’s extended local life. National Palaces Painting Museum is an art museum in Istanbul, opened at the Crown Prince Residence of Dolmabahçe Palace. The museum exhibits approximately 200 pieces from the palace's collection of paintings by both Turkish and international artists of the 19th century. We then board a boat for a journey along the Bosphorus and finish with lunch at a local fish restaurant. Later we visit the Sadberk Hanim Museum with its admirable collection of decorative arts before returning to the hotel.
We start with a visit to the small but impressive Church of St. Saviour in Chora which dates from 1077 and has some of the finest mosaics and frescoes in Istanbul. Then we make our way through the Ottoman districts of Balat and Fener to the spice market before ending our day at the unique Süleymaniye Mosque, one of the city’s landmarks.