Istanbul Highlights: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Baz

The first stop is the Hippodrome. This circus dating from Roman times was originally used for chariot racing and other public events and eventually became the social and cultural heart of Constantinople, the scene of riots, palace intrigues, love affairs and horse races throughout Byzantine history.

Next, visit the Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque due to its decoration with more than 20,000 blue Iznik tiles. This splendid building with its six minarets has dominated the Istanbul skyline ever since its construction by Sultan Ahmet I in the early 17th century. Continue as you head to Hagia Sophia, considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. Having been used as both a Christian cathedral and a mosque, this vast and intricate building is now a fascinating museum.

From here, make the way to the Grand Bazaar, a labyrinth of streets and narrow passageways where you will find over 4000 shops and stalls with separate areas for different crafts. This is an ideal place to stock up on traditional Turkish handicrafts such as colourful hand-painted earthenware and hand-burnished copper, brass and onyx.

The tour will end with a visit to the impressive Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman sultans between the 15th and 19th centuries. This sumptuous building houses an exquisite collection of precious gems, jewelry, royal thrones, and vestments as well as wonderful Ottoman-style miniatures. At its peak, the palace was a mysterious city within a city, home to as many as 4,000 people, covering a large area with an extensive shoreline along the Bosphorus.

Others
As mosques are closed on Fridays, there will only be external visits on that day.
When Hagia Sophia (Mondays) or the Topkapi (Tuesdays) are closed, the underground Basilica Cistern will be visited.



Starting point: ADDRESS - location.Description, Istanbul, Turkey - (Longitude: 0,000000, Latitude: 0,000000)
Ending point: Same - Same as Starting Point