Tour 2 Classic Istanbul The Visits You Can’t Miss

CLASSIC TOUR

Visit the Basilica of St. Sophia, the glory of Byzantine architecture, the Blue Mosque, famous for its blue tiles and 6 minarets, Byzantine Hippodrome and the Grand Bazaar, the largest indoor market in the world with over 4,400 stores.

 

RACECOURSE

The square in front of the Blue Mosque for the site of the old Hippodrome, one of the most famous monuments of Byzantine Constantinople. It was later used as a resting place for the Ottoman army and was called “At Meydani” place of horses.

 

BLUE MOSQUE

It is one of the most emblematic buildings of Istanbul, with its dome and semi-domes in cascade and six elegant minarets that accentuate the corners of the mosque and the courtyard. Its walls are covered with beautiful Iznik tiles.

 

HAGIA SOPHIA

One of the most extraordinary buildings of architectural history. Was for 9 centuries Byzantine cathedral and mosque for another 5. 70 years is a museum open to the public.

 

GRAND BAZAAR

The bazaar was founded in the Ottoman period by Sultan Mehmet II the Conqueror. The Grand Bazaar is a small town. According to a survey done in 1880, the bazaar had 4399 shops, 2195 workshops, 497 looms, 12 warehouses, 18 sources, 12 small mosques, also a large mosque, a primary school and a tomb. It seems that the number of commercial establishments is more or less the same today, but added half a dozen restaurants, many cafes, two banks, the services and an information center.