Istanbul in 2 days

DAY 1

Excursion to the 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.

Excursion to the Blue Mosque of Sultan Ahmed:

The mosque is located on the shores of the Sea of Marmara in the historic center of Istanbul in the Sultanahmet district opposite the Aya Sophia Museum. The mosque is one of the symbols of the city. The architecture of the mosque combines two styles - classical Ottoman and Byzantine. According to legend, the sultan ordered the construction of a standard number of (4) gold (altyn) minarets, but the architect confused something and built six (alta) minarets. The construction of the mosque lasted seven years and was completed in 1616, a year before the Sultan's death.

Excursion to the Basilica reservoir:

History Underground - Basilica Reservoir. The Basilica Reservoir, or as it is now called, the Yerebatan Palace (Underground Palace), located southwest of Ayasofya, is considered one of the most impressive monuments in Istanbul. A huge underground reservoir was built on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, because of the countless columns rising from the water, the people called this place – the Palace of Yerebatan. During the period of the republic, the Basilica Reservoir, after restoration, was turned into a museum by the City Hall of Istanbul and opened to tourists who do not leave the city without visiting this impressive building of antiquity. In 1985, the repository was closed for repairs, 50,000 tons of mud was removed from it and tour paths were built, and reopened in 1987. In May 1994, the Basilica Reservoir again underwent repair and cleaning, and today continues its centuries-old history, and how fish once swim in it. Visitors to this unusual museum can watch how fish swim among the numerous columns, and to the sounds of classical music heard under the ancient vaults go on a mental journey into the depths of centuries.

The temple of Hagia Sophia is the main shrine of Orthodox Christians - a church built a thousand years before the temple of San Pietro in Rome. The font in which the first Christian woman of Russia was baptized - Princess Olga, Byzantine mosaics, and potholes in the floor of the temple from the feet of the guardians of the emperors - you will touch all this in the fourth largest church in the world, the temple of St. Sophia.

Excursion to Topkapi Palace

The main palace of the Ottoman Empire is just behind Hagia Sophia. The palace includes four courtyards. The first leads to the main entrance, there are ticket offices and on the foundation of the ancient temple of Aphrodite built a slightly younger (age 1700 years) Church of St. Irene.

Entrance to the second courtyard through the Greeting Gate. The Harem is on the left. Here lived wives, eunuchs, concubines and the mother of the sultan - the mistress of this part of the palace.

The Gate of Happiness leads to the third courtyard. At the entrance there is a small pavilion - the audience hall, where negotiations were conducted under the noise of the fountain. On the right is a collection of sultans' clothes. Next is a treasury of three halls, here are collected jewelry - for example, an 86-carat diamond "Spoon", surrounded by 49 smaller diamonds. Near the entrance to the Assembly of sacred relics, such as the tooth of the Prophet Muhammad, hair from the beard of the Prophet, the banner of the Prophet, the clothes of the Prophet. There are also Christian shrines - the hand of St. John the Baptist, for example.

In the fourth courtyard there used to be the famous Tulip Garden, there was even the position of “Minister of Tulips”. The homeland of these flowers is not Holland, but the Ottoman Empire, which is why the tulip (or lale) is chosen as a tourist symbol of the country.

DAY 2

Excursion Suleymaniye (mosque) + and tombs

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.

Excursion to the highest point of Istanbul “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 city.

Excursion 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:-

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.

A boat ride on the Bosphorus

Only during this walk you, standing on the deck of a steamer 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.” We look from the outside: the palaces of Dolmabahce and Beylerbeyi, Rumeli Castle, the hunting house of the sultan - Kuchuksu Kasra and many other interesting things along the Bosphorus and Golden Horn.

Egyptian Bazaar

Spices, spices and medicinal herbs of the East. Abundance that makes you dizzy. Not the largest, but the most colorful and fun market in Istanbul is the Egyptian Bazaar. Like three hundred years ago, spices and herbs are brought here from Egypt itself.