Best of Private Istanbul Old City Tour

One of the most famous structure of Istanbul from the 6th century AD is Hagia Sophia. This construction was built by the great emperor Justinian as the biggest church of the world. Now size-wise it is the 4th biggest one. After the conquest of Istanbul by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1453, it was converted into a mosque. Now it serves as a museum and a mosque.

Even if it is known as Blue Mosque; the original name is Sultan Ahmet Mosque. It was constructed by Sultan Ahmet who’s the 14. Ottoman Sultan between 1609- 1616. Blue Mosque is a 400 years old mosque which is still in use. Because the interior of the mosque is decorated with mostly blue Iznik tiles, it is called Blue Mosque.

In the 6th century AD, horse-drawn carriage races, the favorite sport of the spectators in Constantinople and held in the magnificent Hippodrome, were at the center of life.

Another great building that must be visited is Topkapı Palace & Harem Section.A house of Ottoman dynasty for 400 years. In the 15th century, it was built by II. Mehmet (Fatih Sultan Mehmet) who conquered the city of Istanbul in 1453. Topkapi Palace is accepted as one of the oldest palace all over the world. 28 Sultans lived in this palace till they moved to Dolmabahçe Palace in the 19th century.

The Grand Bazaar, which was started to be built in 1460 by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, the conqueror of Istanbul, is a historical shopping square surrounded by nearly 60 streets and nearly 4000 shops covered with roofs and domes. It can be expressed as the attraction point of Istanbul in both tourism and commercial terms.