ISTANBUL TOUR for FIRST TIME VISITORS
9 am, you will be
greeted at the exit gate of the customs area of Istanbul pier
by United Travel dedicated guide, for departure by deluxe air-conditioned
minivan for an unforgettable Istanbul Visit.
Your private tour will start with a visit to Topkapi
Palace-which was the center of Ottoman government and the court, the Turks
ruled most of Europe and the Middle East from here. Covering the prime property
on the peninsula, the court-defined grounds of the Palace express in the architectural
sense the Ottoman ideal of the perfect life balanced between its formative
components.
Today’s Private Sightseeing Tour will
continue to visit to World famous Hagia Sophia which is one of
the most extraordinary constructions in the history of architecture. The
awesome building inspired countless generations by its colossal definition of
what the ideal interior space in a domed basilica should be and with its
innovations in weight-support and construction techniques.
The next visits will be to the Roman
Hippodrome & Blue Mosque- the masterpiece of 17th century Ottoman
Architecture, famous for its unique handmade original Iznik Tiles impressing
the guests with their rich dominant blue colors and oriental patterns. They
have become collectors’ items today, auctioned at celebrated houses like the
Sotheby’s.
The last visit will be to the Grand
Covered Bazaar No bazaar, however, is more dazzling than the Grand
Covered Bazaar, built in 1461 and in service ever since. Along with magnificent
mosque complexes, the mother of all bazaars was a monument to the ‘Rise of
Istanbul’- the great master plan of the Turks for the rejuvenation and
reanimation of an old imperial capital. It contains 3,500 shops employing more
than 20,000 people all under one roof. Everything imaginable is for sale, gold
and silver jewelry, rugs, carpets, antiques, tiles, leather, souvenirs, but just
seeing and experiencing this mother of all bazaars is worth the trip.
At the end of the tour, you will be
transferred back to Istanbul Cruise Pier to board on your ship by 4.30
pm.
To book this tour, please contact UTS – Turkey Team