Tour of Istanbul "Istanbul in 3 days"

1st day walking tour of the Old Town (no car required)

Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmet Mosque

The mosque was built in 1609 by order of Sultan Ahmet I. At that time, the Ottoman Empire was engaged in a war with Austria, which ended with the signing of an agreement after which the Ottomans could no longer collect to give from Austria. Sultan Ahmet decided to appease Allah and build a mosque with golden minarets, which was to eclipse the Hagia Sophia standing opposite the temple. The location for the Blue Mosque was chosen not far from Topkapi Palace, opposite the majestic Hagia Sophia. The area between them is always crowded. This place can be called the most-most center of the Sultanahmet district. The Sultanahmet Mosque is huge, it can accommodate 10,000 people. The diameter of the dome of the Sultanahmet mosque is 23.5 m, its height is 43 m. Light enters through 260 windows, which used to have stained glass windows ordered from Venice. The windows were later replaced. The name Blue Mosque was given because of the color of the decoration of the mosque, the interior of which is decorated with more than 20 thousand blue tiles. The walls inside the mosque are painted with ornaments of flowers on a white background: there are traditional for Muslims tulips, lilies, roses and other flowers.

Sultanahmet Square

The oldest square in Istanbul, located in the historic city center in the Sultan Ahmet district of Fatih district. It consists of two parts: the square between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome square itself, on which columns and obelisks erected in the Byzantine period have been preserved, and the German fountain donated to the city. Here were held chariot races, gladiatorial fights and other usual fun for the time. After the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks, the Hippodrome was used as a venue for festivals, fairs and performances.

Topkapi Palace

The main palace of the Ottoman Empire until the mid-19th century, the residence of 25 sultans, the "city in the city". This is not only a grand palace complex, but also one of the richest museums in Istanbul. The number of exhibits exhibited for public view reaches 65,000 units. This is only a tenth of the collection. The palace is built in a picturesque and “strategically correct” place: on Cape Saraiburnu, where the waters of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn merge with the waters of the Sea of Marmara. (On Tuesdays, Topkapi Palace is not open, we are hanging Dolmabahce Palace)

Hagia Sophia Temple

The former Patriarchal Orthodox Cathedral, later - a mosque, now - a museum; a world-famous monument, a symbol of the "golden age" of Byzantium. Before the looting of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204, the Shroud of Turin was kept in the cathedral. The official name for today is the Hagia Sophia Museum. For more than 1000 years, the Cathedral of Sofia in Constantinople remained the largest temple in the entire Christian world - until the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. During its construction, the best building material from all over the wound was used. Also, according to the Emperor Justinian’s circular, 8 porphyry columns from the Temple of the Sun were brought from Rome, and 8 columns from jasper – previously belonging to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. The interior decoration of the temple lasted for several centuries. They were distinguished by a special luxury of mosaics on the golden floor and on the walls. The “attractions” of Hagia Sophia include a “weeping column” covered with copper. There is a legend that if you put your hand in a hole in it and, feeling moisture, make a wish - it will come true.

Bisilica or Ierabatan Cistern

An ancient well-preserved underground reservoir. It is also called the “Sunken Palace”. There was a reserve of drinking water in case of drought or siege of the city. Water was delivered by water pipes and aqueducts from springs north of Constantinople. The vaulted ceiling of the tank is supported by 336 columns (12 rows of 28 columns) of 8-meter height. Most of them are taken from ancient temples, so they are slightly different from each other. 2 of them - at the base of the head of Medusa Gorgon (one of which stands on its side, according to legend, not petrified when looking at it). It is not known where they came from or what ancient structure they belonged to. Next to them is the pool of desires. The reservoir was abandoned from the 16th century until its restoration and the opening of the museum in 1987.

Roman Hippodrome

The largest of the five Constantinople Hippodromes, the second largest in the Mediterranean, after the Great Circus in Rome, is used as the Turkish Ethnographic Islamic Art Museum. It was used as a place of horse races, gladiatorial battles, triumphal processions, public acts related to the transfer or addition of imperial power and the execution of executions. It was a kind of center of social and political life of the common people of the capital. There you will see the German spring, the column of Constantine, the palace of Ibrahim Pasha.

Day 2.

Half-hour water tour of the Bosphorus Only during this walk you, standing on the deck of a ship sailing along the most beautiful strait of Eurasia, will see the houses of millionaires and island houses, palaces and castles of the sultans. In Turkey, they say: “If your heart is sad, go to the Bosphorus.” Spread the sadness for years to come – go to Istanbul. Visit the Sulaymaniyah Mosque and the Tombs of Sultan Suleiman and Hürem The mosque was built on the orders of Sultan Suleiman the Legislator by the architect Sinan in 1550-1557. The dome has a height of 53 m and a diameter of 26.5 m. The floor of the mosque is paved with carpets, the inside of the mosque is well lit - light falls from 136 windows. The mosque has four minarets. With buildings of baths, madrasahs (educational institutions), kitchens, libraries and an observatory, the mosque forms a complex comparable in size to a city quarter.

In the courtyard of the mosque is a cemetery, here in two neighboring mausoleums rests Suleiman himself and his beloved wife Roksolana. There are versions that the mosque is slowly slipping into the Golden Horn Bay.

Visit to Taksim Square. Business center of Istanbul. It is here that almost all the offices of serious companies, both Turkish and foreign, are concentrated. This is where most consulates and representative offices of foreign countries are located. The district of diplomats and businessmen, Taksim is also the center of the "hangout" of the most advanced part of the Turkish youth, It is the center of bars, restaurants, cafes, clubs, religious establishments, brand stores, cinemas, a place of parties for young people and musicians, tourists and bohemians, and just a reveler. From time to time a tourist tram passes through Istiklal. This is the only mode of transport that is allowed to travel on Istiklal. It drives VERY slowly and gives warning signals to passers-by, so don't be afraid to get into an accident:-

Walk along the pedestrian street Istiklal. On both sides of Istiklal there are old consulates (including Russia) and embassies and temples. For example, the Catholic Church of St. Antoine is the largest Catholic church in the city. Entrance is free. 40 meters from this church is the Catholic Church of Maria Draperi. At the very beginning of Istiklal Avenue, on the left side, there is a church of the Holy Trinity (Aya Trias) with two bells.

We recommend walking along the entire length of Istiklal, which descends to the Galata Tower. To climb to her observation deck on a high-speed elevator costs 11 liras. At the top of the tower there is a cafe, and if you are afraid of heights, enjoy the view better from there than from the observation deck.

Pedestrian street Istiklal - "Istanbul Arbat". In Taksim, as elsewhere in Istanbul, the infrastructure of the hotel business is developed. Most hotels - five-star - the best place for conferences and business meetings. The name of the square, originates from the building, at the very entrance to Istiklal Avenue. In this building, water is distributed to various areas of Istanbul. The building was built in 1733. The square became a place of important political meetings and rallies. Proof of this is the monument to Ataturk and not far from it to Soviet General Mikhail Frunze. A large, wide building built in 1950-1969 is the Atatürk Kültür Merkezi Cultural Center. Along the cultural center of Atatürk, begins Gyumüssuyu Street, leading to the Dolmabahce Palace. All these buildings date back to the XIX century. On the square there is a five-star hotel "De Marmara". At the other end of the square is a park called Taksim Gesisi.

A visit to the Galata Tower near Istiklal Street and is, along with the Galata Bridge, one of the main symbols of the city. The height of the Galata Tower is 61 m, the diameter is 9 m, and the thickness of the walls is 3.5 m. Chamlija Hill Istanbul is beautiful and you can appreciate its incredible beauty from different points of view. Istanbul is a city of hills. One of the highest points of the city is Buyuk Chamlydzha hill. It is located in the Asian part. Buyuk Chamlydzha rises above sea level at 263 meters, the hill has long been a place of rest and festivities. From the top of the Chamlyja hill, a picturesque panorama opens on one side to the Sea of Marmara and Adalara (Princes Islands), on the other to the Bosphorus. They say that in the 70s of the last century, this place came into desolation, and became dangerous for walking. In the early 80s, the park was restored, flowerbeds were broken, a cafe-buffet was opened. Flying minarets, blue islands, shining in the sunset rays of the Bosphorus will forever remain in your memories.

Day 3. Dolmabahce Palace, The most "non-Turkish" of the royal residences in Istanbul, was created in order to compete in pomposity with the best palaces of European rulers. I must say, Sultan Abdul-Mejid this daring plan was successful with great success - the brilliant Baroque style gained a special charm on the shores of the Bosphorus, as every visitor to the Dolmabahce Palace can see. It is impossible, visiting Rome, not to visit the Colosseum, traveling around Berlin, not to go to any museum, and it is impossible, being in Istanbul, to miss a walk through the real Eastern bazaar. Historically, Istanbul is considered one of the world’s trade centers. So it was in antiquity, so it was in the Middle Ages, so it is now. This was largely due to the unique geographical position of the city - it was and remains a link between the two continents, many traders from different countries flocked here. The oriental fairy tale, unthinkable without a bazaar filled with noise, laughter, bright colorful goods, aromas of oriental spices and unforgettable emotions, has come to life and is located in the heart of Istanbul, in the Sultanahmet district, about a kilometer from Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. This is the famous Grand Bazaar, a real oriental market, which is a huge square, spread over many quarters of the city, covered with arches, roofs, etc. The entire building dates back to 1461. Istanbul Sapphire was built in 2011 and is the tallest building in Turkey (66 floors, 261 meters). The observation terrace at an altitude of 236 meters is open to visitors "from dawn to sunset" - from 10am to 10pm. For 25 liras, you can fly a virtual helicopter over the city in a 4D cinema. In the skyscraper there are apartments, swimming pool, golf course, gardens and parking. For shopaholics on the first floor is the shopping center Sapphire Carsi.

The park has more than 100 miniatures, among which you can see: Hagia Sophia Cathedral, Galata and Maiden Towers, Bosphorus Bridge, Blue Mosque and Suleymaniye Mosque, Topkapi and Dolmabahce Palaces, St. Irene Church, city walls of Constantinople.