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DAY 1
ISTANBUL
Arrive in
Istanbul, and transfer to your hotel. After a short tour briefing, the
rest of the day is free to rest, relax or walk around to explore the
city. Welcome dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [
D ]
DAY 2 ISTANBUL
We spend the
full day visiting the sights of Old Istanbul. We will begin at the
ancient Hippodrome which was the center of the civil activities
back in the Hellenistic and Roman times. At the Hippodrome the chariot
and horse races and athletic runs took place for the entertainment of
the people of Constantinople. We walk to the nearby Ibrahim
Pasha Palace which houses the Museum of
Turkish and Islamic Art where we will see an
impressive exhibit from the various periods of Turkish and Islamic art,
ranging in date from the 7th C. to the 19th. Then we proceed to the
Blue Mosque, famous for its blue tiles covering its interior
walls and also for its six minarets which is a unique feature of this
mosque. Nearby is Hagia Sophia Museum, the former
Cathedral of Constantinople, considered as the masterpiece of the early
Byzantine architecture. Hagia Sophia is renowned for its superb mosaic
decoration as well as its architectural style. Back in Byzantine Empire,
most emperors were crowned in this cathedral after a special ceremony.
After lunch we will visit the Topkapi Palace, residence
and administrative center of the Ottoman Sultans. In the grounds of the
Topkapi Palace are many courtyards surrounded by old buildings each
housing small museums with exhibits of jewelry, costumes, calligraphy
and various objects that belonged to the Imperial treasury of the
Ottoman Sultans. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ISTANBUL ).
[ B L D ]
DAY 3 ISTANBUL
This
morning, we will cruise up the Bosphorus with private boat, sit
on the deck and enjoy the nice traditional water-front houses built by
the Ottomans in the last or in the turn of this century. We will
disembark near the Spice bazaar, and have free time for
shopping in the Spice Market where you will find hundreds of spices and
herbs. Spice market was built by the Ottomans in the 16th C., and has
been used as the main market of spices and herbs since then. We head for
the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, where will have time for
shopping. In the grand bazaar which is an old ottoman bedesten built in
the 15th. C., and said to have about 3,500 shops under its roof, you
will find almost anything from souvenirs to jewelry, from textiles to
Turkish ethnographic items. In the afternoon visit the Asian side of the
city, Beylerbeyi Palace built for the Sultans in the 18th C., and
the Camlica Hill with panoramic view of the city from the top.
Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B L D ]
DAY 4 TRANSFER TO
AIRPORT
Check-out
and transfer to the airport for our morning flight back home. End of
Services. [ B ]
[ B ] :
Breakfast
[ L ] :
Lunch
[ D
] : Dinner |
