DAY 1 : ARRIVAL / ISTANBUL

Upon morning arrival, you will be begin your full day of sightseeing.

Topkapı Palace is the largest and oldest palace in the world to survive to our day. In 1924 it was turned into a museum at Atatürk’s request. Situated on the acropolis, the site of the first settlement in İstanbul, it commands an impressive view of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. The palace is a complex surrounded by five kilometers of walls and occupies an area of 700,000 square meters at the tip of the historical peninsula.
İstanbul Archaeological Museum is a complex of three museums: the Museum of Oriental Antiquities, the Archaeological Museum and the Tiled Pavilion Museum. The complex is located in the gardens in the first court of the Topkapı Palace. There are sixty – thousand archaeological treasures, seven – hundred – sixty thousand coins and medallions, and seventy – five thousand clay tablets in these three museums.

Continue to the Hagia Sophia, which is considered as one of the eight wonders of the world, occupying a prominent place in the history of art and architecture. It is one of the rare works of this size and age that has survived to our day. The Church (called Ayasofya in Turkish) is erroneously known as Saint Sophia in the west. The basilica was not dedicated to a saint named Sophia, but to Divine Wisdom.

After lunch at Konyalı Saray Restaurant you will visit the Blue Mosque. The Blue Mosque is one of the most prominent landmarks of Istanbul, especially when viewed from the First Hill or from the Asian shore of the Sea of Marmara.

It is very impressive with its beautiful domes and semidomes, nice courtyards and six slender minarets. The Blue Mosque was founded by Sultan Ahmet I. He ordered Architect Mehmed Aga to begin construction in 1609 and the whole complex was completed in 1616. The location of the mosque is just opposite of the splendid Church of Hagia Sophia as it is trying to compete with it. That is actually true because Architect Mehmed wanted to construct a bigger dome then Hagia Sophia’s but he could not succeed. Instead, he made the mosque splendid by the perfect proportion of domes and semidomes as well as the splendid minarets.

You will then proceed to the Underground Cistern (The Basilica Cistern). This cistern is thought to have been built after the Nika Revolt in 532 AD. It was known as the Basilica Cistern during the Roman Period, as there was a Stoa Basilica above the pre-existing one at the time. After the conquest of the city by the Ottoman Turks, it was forgotten of and nobody knew that it existed. Re-discovered in 1545, it was used to water the gardens of Topkapı Palace. Today it has a rather eerie and mystical ambiance. Clever spotlighting makes the water shimmer with colored dancing lights and the water ripples from an occasional fish swishing its tail in exuberance.

The final stop is the Hippodrome. The first of the seven hills on the promontory has been the most important and dynamic part of the city in all ages. When the city was first founded, the acropolis was a typical Mediterranean trading center surrounded by city walls. Hippodrome means square for horses. The Hippodrome was built by the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus towards the end of the 2nd century and it was extended to an immense size by Constantine the Great.

DAY 2 : ISTANBUL

After a leisurely breakfast you will begin your tour of the Galata Tower. Galata Tower was built by a Genoese colony in 1348 as a part of their fortifications. From the early 13th century, after the fourth crusade, there had been a Genoese settlement in the city, as Latin Kings had been in powers from 1204 – 1216. Those who built the tower were the descendants of these crusaders. There is a wonderful view over the city rooftops and across the Golden Horn from the outdoor balcony on the top floor. A lift is available to take you to the top.

You then board your cruise for a sightseeing tour of the Bosphorus where you will view the beauty of the European and Asian shorelines on either side. Head up Istanbul’s winding straits for a chance to relax and admire the shoreline of beautiful mosques, lavish palaces and decadent villas. You will see Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi Palaces, Ottoman summer mansions and Ortaköy Mosque, the defensive Rumeli Fortress and Bosphorus Bridge – one of the world’s largest suspension bridges, all alongside passing fishing boats, yachts, huge cargo ships and tankers.

Continue to the Church of St. Savior in Chora. This museum, which is considered by some to be the most interesting Byzantine Church in İstanbul due to its magnificent mosaics and frecoes, was originally built in the late 11th century by Maria Doukaina, the mother in law of Emperor Alexius I Commenus, on the remains of and earlier Byzantine church.

It was converted into a mosque in 1511 by the Grand Vezir Atik Ali Pasha during the reign of Sultan Beyazid II, and the mosaics were subsequently plastered over. In the 1948 the mosque was turned into a museum and between the years 1947-1952, a team of American restoration experts uncovered the valuable mosaics which had been for centuries covered with plaster. These mosaics are among the greatest examples of Byzantine art in existence today.

You will finish the day at the Egyptian Bazaar. The Egyptian Bazaar is famous for selling the best spices in İstanbul and Turkey. If you have enough time in İstanbul and like to cook different things you must visit the Egyptian Bazaar.In the Bazaar you will find an immense selection of spices like saffron, oregano, mint, cinnamon, natural henna colorant for the hair, special Turkish spices for meat, and different kinds of pepper.

DAY 3 : ISTANBUL / DEPART

This morning you will be privately transferred to the airport where you will board your return flight.

All tours have been posted by TURSAB(Turkish Society of Travel Agencies) licensed travel agencies and tour operators who have replied to the formal TURSAB call of 08.07.2013 for publishing their tours on this website.

Venüs Turizm,

1374 Sokak No: 4/203 MAB İşhanı Çankaya İzmir 
Phone: +902324848485 
Fax: +902324845576 
info@venus-tourism.com
http://www.venus-tourism.com/