Ottoman Relics Tour – Footsteps of the Sultan in Istanbul

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• İstanbul

About tour program of  ” Ottoman Relics Tour – Footsteps of the Sultan in Istanbul”

Istanbul is not only a multi-million metropolis and the tourist, economic and cultural center of Turkey. This is, first of all, a city with a rich history, architecture and color. The times of palaces, sultans, harems, historical battles and behind-the-scenes conspiracies are covered with a special mystery and intrigue.

Everyone would like to find themselves at the epicenter of palace events for a while, to be in the role of a formidable sultan, a brave sea pirate, or the first beauty. A tour in the Footsteps of the Sultan in Istanbul will take you back in time and take you through the corridors of ancient temples built during the reign of the great Sultan Suleiman.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is the greatest architectural structure and one of the most visited cultural monuments in the world. Due to its unique architecture and the fact that it is the largest place of worship in the world, it is also recognized as the eighth wonder of the world. Previously, the cathedral was a church, a mosque, a museum, and since 2020 it has been officially declared a mosque again.

Hagia Sophia, is called Aya Sofya in Turkish, is located in the very center of Istanbul – the Sultanahmet district. Built in 325, this famous monument of Byzantine architecture was the largest church in the Christian world for more than a thousand years.

The temple was destroyed twice, currently the Hagia Sophia is the third building and differs in architectural style from the original version. The temple strikes with luxury and grandeur, the interior decoration is made of mosaics and gilding, the church is decorated with 8 green jasper columns from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, as well as a “weeping column” covered with copper. Since the temple was both a Christian church and a mosque, one can now see biblical scenes and lines from the Koran on its ancient walls.

Everyone should visit Hagia Sophia at least once. This is a place of interweaving of stories and religions, a place of worship and reconciliation, solidarity and mercy.

Blue Mosque

It is not without reason that the Blue Mosque is included in the tour program In the Footsteps of the Sultan in Istanbul, it was built by order of Sultan Ahmet the First and, accordingly, bears his name Sultanahmet. More than seven years were spent on the construction of the building, and precious stones and unique marble were used in the decoration.

The best styles of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, the most beautiful stained-glass windows of Venetian masters, handmade carpets made the mosque a unique building and a symbol of the whole era of the reign of the sultans.

To decorate the facade of the building, ceramic mosaics painted in blue and white were used, which makes the mosque really look blue. The premises of the mosque are huge, at the same time it can accommodate up to 10,000 people.

Topkapi Palace

Excursion in the Footsteps of the Sultan from Istanbul will take you to the times of wars and intrigues, the accomplishment of heroic deeds and the construction of extraordinary majestic palaces, one of which is the Topkapi Palace.

It was built in 1478 by Sultan Mehmed and served as the working residence of the rulers, but in the 16th century, the wife of Sultan Suleiman I, Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, succeeded in transferring the harem to Topkapi.

Under Suleiman the Magnificent, a grandiose rebuilding of the palace began, and in subsequent centuries it was even more enriched and transformed. For over 400 years, Topkapı Palace remained the main palace of the Ottoman era and was the residence of 25 sultans.

With the establishment of the republic in 1923, Topkapi Palace received the status of a museum, and at present, its walls host more than 2 million tourists annually. The palace consists of four separate courtyards that perform different functions.

The courtyard of the Janissaries, the largest, served as a place of official meetings and ceremonies, the second courtyard housed the chancellery and the treasury, the third courtyard was occupied by the Sultan’s numerous harem, and the fourth was the utility rooms. The palace has more than 300 rooms, and displays over 65,000 exhibits and major Muslim relics.

Hippodrome

Walking in the Footsteps of the Sultan, you will visit not only palaces and mosques, but also the most popular places among the Ottoman elite, one of which is the Hippodrome of Constantinople. It was here that the epicenter of social life was located, all sports and cultural events, meetings of high society were held at the Constantinople Hippodrome.

Currently, part of the hippodrome is located on Sultanahmet Square and is interesting for such monuments as the Obelisk of Constantine, the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column, the German Fountain. Tourists from all over the world tend to come here to touch the ancient relics and get closer to the history of the great state.

Excursion Ottoman Relics Tour – Footsteps of the Sultan in Istanbul. is one of the most interesting, informative and colorful, and a visit to the ancient city will forever leave a mark on your heart.