DISCOVERING THE OLD CITY ( FULL DAY )

BLUE MOSQUE : is one of the best examples of the Ottoman classical era with its stunning six minarets . The Blue Mosque (Called Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish) is an historical mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design.Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 years, during the rule of Ahmed I. just like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasa and a hospice.Besides still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction in Istanbul.

HIPPODROME : is the center of social and political life in ancient Constantinople . Why it was the first constructuon in the heart of the city ? What does blue and green colours mean ? What is Nika Riot ? Hippodrome of Constantinople, located in Sultanahmet/Istanbul, was a public arena mainly for chariot races. The word hippodrome comes from the Greek hippos (horse) and dromos (way). The Hippodrome of Constantinople was also home to gladiatorial games, official ceremonies, celebrations, protests, torture to the convicts and so on. Hippodrome functioned all in Roman (203-330 CE), Byzantine (330-1453 CE), and Ottoman (1453-1922) periods. Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (Turkish: Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi)[2] and formerly the Church of Hagia Sophia,[3] is a Late Antique place of worship in Istanbul. Built in 537 as the patriarchal cathedral of the imperial capital of Constantinople, it was the largest Christian church of the eastern Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire) and the Eastern Orthodox Church, except during the Latin Empire from 1204 to 1261, when it became the city's Roman Catholic cathedral. In 1453, after the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, it was converted into a mosque. In 1935 the secular Turkish Republic established it as a museum. In 2020, it re-opened as a mosque.

MEVLANA BAZAAR

LUNCH ( Menu soup.. Fresh season al salad.. Main course mixed Barbque or fish... Fresh seasonal fruits)

TOPKAPI PALACE : is the biggest palace in İstanbul from the 15 th century . What does the word Ottoman and Sultan means ? Why the staff of Moses and sword of Muhammed is at the same room ? Topkapı Palace (Topkapı Sarayı) is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world's museums put together. Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful concubines and scheming eunuchs lived and worked here between the 15th and 19th centuries when it was the court of the Ottoman empire. A visit to the palace's opulent pavilions, jewel-filled Treasury and sprawling Harem gives a fascinating glimpse into their lives.

GRAND BAZAAR : The Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalıçarşı, meaning ‘Covered Market’; also Büyük Çarşı, meaning ‘Grand Market’[1]) in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops[2][3] on a total area of 30,700 m2,[4] attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.[5] In 2014, it was listed No.1 among the world's most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors.[6] The Grand Bazaar at Istanbul is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world..