Informaciones generales
Detalles del programa
Visit two of Istanbul's most important museums with an official guide. After meeting your guide at the departure point for half-day morning Dolmabahçe Palace tour, climb aboard your luxury coach and head to the Palace.
• Dolmabahçe Palace
• Bezmiâlem Vâlide Sultan Mosque
• Spice Bazaar
• Topkapı Palace
• Hagia Irene Church
• The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (from outside)
Dolmabahçe Palace is the symbol of Westernization of the 19th century. It was built by Sultan Abdulmecid between 1843-1856 then the headquarter of Ottoman Empire moved from Topkapı Palace to Dolmabahçe Palace. It was used by the Ottoman Sultans until November 1, 1922. It is situated on an area of 110 thousand square meters, dominating the magnificent view of the Bosphorus.
Then we visit Bezmiâlem Vâlide Sultan Mosque. It has one of the most unique architectures among the Ottoman mosques in Istanbul. The mosque was commissioned by Bezmialem Valide Sultan in 1852, who was the mother of Ottoman sultan Abdülmecid I. The architect of the Mosque is of Armenian origin: Garabet Balyan. The mosque’s architecture is a successful and classy blend of Baroque and Empire architectural styles.
Then we go to the Spice Bazaar and after lunch we visit the Topkapı Palace. It was a private residence of Ottoman Sultans until the 19th century exhibiting sacred Islamic Relics of Prophet Mohammed, imperial treasury, Chinese porcelain, weapons & calligraphy etc. Hagia Irene Church, “Hagia Irene” means “Holy Peace” in Greek. Hagia Irene was first built as a basilica with three naves, on the order of during the reign of Constantinos the Great (306–337), on top of a temple, out of wood. Hagia Irene consists of three sections that include the Naos, Narthex and Atrium, while the Standing Atrium is the only surviving sample from the Byzantine period.
Afterward the tour continues with the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, from the outside (without an interior visit). It was built in the 6th century by the emperor Justinian as a Greek Orthodox Church also called the church of Divine Wisdom. It was converted into a mosque in 1453 by Sultan Mehmet II the Conqueror and into a museum by Ataturk in 1935 and it was converted into a mosque in 2020 by Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It was the largest church in the world for 1000 years.
Important information
Photography and video recording are not allowed inside Dolmabahçe Palace.
We visit Great Hagia Sophia Mosque from outside.
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