Old Town Without Museum Lines

TÜRSAB NO 11656

License number 11656

ZAGAR TOUR

1. Hagia Sophia Temple

This masterpiece of ancient Byzantine architecture was built in the VI century by order of Emperor Justinian. Emperor Justinian opened it on Christmas Day, raising his hands to the sky and saying, “I have surpassed you, Solomon!” The cost of building the temple was huge and amounted to three annual incomes - about 130 tons of gold. It is a symbol of the golden age of the Byzantine Empire. When it was built, the world began to separate the Eastern churches from the Western ones. It is also the oldest Orthodox church in the world – 1500 years old. It remained the largest Christian temple in the world for 916 years. At the beginning of the XIII century it was looted by the Crusaders, and in the XV century the conqueror of Constantinople Mehmed II turned it into a mosque. And after the founding of the Turkish Republic (1923) in 1935, by decree of the state, it was turned into a museum. In our time, it became the most popular museum of the Byzantine period. The temple amazes with its scale and beautiful interior.

2. Topkapi Palace (Two Ottoman Empires)

Built in oriental style and is a medieval symbol of Ottoman statehood. The main parts of the palace were erected during the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in the XV century. For 400 years, 25 sultans of the Ottoman Empire lived in this palace. In the huge harem of the palace lived the famous Ukrainian Roxalana, wife of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Today, the palace is a museum, where there is a stunning treasury, harem, palace school, courtyards, a number of interesting attractions; it offers a beautiful view of the Bosphorus. Symbol of the Ottoman Empire.

3. Basilica tank (Underground reservoir)

In the VI century, under the rule of the Byzantine emperor Justinian, a huge reservoir was built in the acropolis of the Old Town. It is located in the historical center next to the temple of Hagia Sophia. The cistern kept a large supply of drinking water in case of drought or siege of the city. About 100,000 tons of water are placed here. At the base of the two columns are the inverted heads of Medusa Gorgon - one looking down and the other to the side. Historians still can't figure out where these Medusa heads came from. Today, the reservoir is the largest underground museum in Europe.

4. Blue Mosque

The mosque was built in the XVII century directly opposite the Sophia temple by order of Sultan Ahmed I. The Blue Mosque got its name from the 21,043 blue and white ceramic tiles used in the interior decorations. In total, the mosque has more than 50 different completed compositions and patterns. Due to the unique location of the windows, it seems as if the dome is suspended in the air. The mosque has 6 minarets. The Blue Mosque is one of the symbols of the city.

5. Roman hippodrome

After the city became part of the Roman Empire, Emperor Septimius Severus built a large racecourse in the third century to entertain the people, where chariot competitions, gladiatorial fights and circus performances were held, as in the Colosseum in Rome. The capacity of the racetrack was about 100 thousand people. It has been the heart of Constantinople’s political and sporting life for 500 years. Here you can see the 3500-year-old Egyptian obelisk. The obelisk was brought in the IV century from Egypt, its weight is 400 tons. It also houses the obelisk of Constantine VII and the Serpent Column. The Crusaders took away the main monuments that were on the Hippodrome, and today there were the heaviest and most basic ones that could not be taken away.

What comes in

• Individual guide services.

What's not in

• entrance tickets to museums (Sofia Temple, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern).

Useful information

I advise you to change currency and travelers' cheques into liras only at bank branches and official exchange offices, which are indicated by the EXCHANGE sign. Banks are open from 9:00 to 17:00.

TÜRSAB NO 11656

License number 11656

ZAGAR TOUR