SECRET TREASURES OF ISTANBUL

Secret Treasures of Istanbul Tour

Half Day Private Tour (please inquire for the rate)

Meeting in the hotel. We will visit The Süleymaniye Mosque, the largest and grandest of Istanbul’s imperial mosques. It dates from the 16th century heyday of the Ottoman Empire, and was designed by Sinan, the greatest architect of his day and originator of the Classical Ottoman style of architecture. Of the 2,000 structures Sinan designed, Süleymaniye Mosque and its complex of charitable institutions rank among the most important.

Next, we will continue to visit Fener and Balat Areas located on the shore of the Golden Horn. Fener and Balat are among the oldest neighborhoods of Istanbul and they are famous for their historical colorful houses located in the districts narrow streets. We are certainly sure that you have at least seen a picture from Balat once in your lifetime. During the late Ottoman Period and the first years of the Republic, these districts were mostly inhabited by the Armenian and Greek minorities of the city, as a result the Food Culture here is also very diverse and the districts are known for their delicious restaurants. We will make a stop for a small treat of T to taste our famous Traditional Turkish Tea / Turkish Coffee while listening to your guide.

During our visits, we will see the remains of the Istanbul’s City Walls; originally dating from 5 AC the walls largely remained intact until sections began to be dismantled in the 19th century, as the city outgrew its medieval boundaries. Many parts of the walls survived and are still standing today.

Another interesting point of our visit will be Iron Church of St Stephen. It is a Bulgarian Orthodox church and is famous for being made of prefabricated cast iron elements in the neo-Byzantine style. The church belongs to the Bulgarian minority in the city. We will see the Aya Nikola Greek Orthodox Church (Sightseeing) before visiting the Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchate (Sightseeing) as well as St Hireşdagabet Armenian Ortodox Church (Sightseeing).

Balat is also frequented among auctioneers where relics of the pasts change ownership in open auctions and Antique shop. Antique Hunters loves to wander through these parts of the city, as one might never know what unknown values you may encounter here. At the end of the tour, we will drive back to the hotel.

(This tour is operated only as private, rate varies on the group size, please inquire us for the rate)

Available Days

Sun  Mon  Tue  Wed  Thu  Fri  Sat  

Highlights 

• Suleymaniye Mosque

• Fener and Balat Area

• Bulgarian Iron Church

• Fener Orthodox Patriarchate 

• Traditional Turkish Tea / Turkish Coffee Treat

What's Included 

• Entrance fees mentioned on the itinerary

• Private Professional Guidance

• Private pick up and drop off service from your hotel

• Traditional Turkish Tea / Turkish Coffee Treat

• Private Transportation with A/C vehicles

• Donations for all religious visits

• TURSAB insurance, which covers the costs of services accepted and committed by the travel agency

What's Not Included 

• Lunch

• Optional Gratuities

Please Note

• We kindly ask you to be ready in the lobby of your hotel 5 minutes before your definite pick up time.

• Please note that this tour includes a visit to Suleymaniye Mosque. You will be required to have a dress covering the shoulders and above the knees during this visit (for both man & women). Guests whose dress doesn’t cover the shoulders or above the knees, can purchase a single use dress from the mosque.

• We do not recommend this tour for the persons having walking difficulty.

Payment

• No advance payment

• You can do the payment during the tour cash to your Guide

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