Discover the intriguing history of Istanbul, and learn about its origins as we wander around Hagia Sophia.
Narrated by a historian, this private independent walk is all about uncovering the backstories of the most iconic architecture, secret tales and history, and learning more about how this city reflects the cultural influences of the many empires that once ruled here.
Together, we’ll explore the carpet museum and learn about traditional Turkish weaving, visit the iconic Blue Mosque, take photos at the mesmerising Basilica Cistern, stroll around The Hippodrome, and admire the beautiful Museum of Turkish & Islamic Arts.
Finish the tour at the Grand Bazaar and get lost in this beautiful maze of shops and alleyways, and relax at Cağaloğlu Hamam, one of Istanbul's traditional hammams.
Begin the tour outside Hagia Sophia and learn about this city’s ancient origins. We’ll begin to get a bit of clarification on the difference between Istanbul, Constantinople, Byzantium, Ottoman and a whole lot more! Learn about the mythical Greek leader Byzas, who is said to have captured this peninsula from local tribes and built the town here over two and half thousand years ago, in around 657 BCE.
Head inside Hagia Sophia, a structure that has once been a church, museum and mosque. By the time it was built, it was the world’s largest interior space, meaning that the surface it covered was greater than any other edifice. It was also the first to fully develop what is now called a ‘pendentive dome’.
Explore the carpet museum and learn about traditional Turkish weaving. Carpets like these were a fixture of everyday life for people of Central Asia, where the Turkish people came from originally. They were nomads, and a large part of their work and trade consisted of weaving a great number of items. Explore some of the finest pieces come from the golden age of the Ottomans around the 16th and 17th centuries
Along with the Hagia Sofia, the Blue Mosque is one of the most iconic sights in Istanbul. Looking out from the other side of the Bosphorus, you’ll see them standing, like twin edifices. But they actually have quite a lot of differences. Learn about the story of the Blue Mosque and its controversial origins
Take a look at some ancient mosaics that teach us a lot about Constantinople. Started in Mesopotamia in the third millennium BCE, before reaching Greece and finally Rome, mosaics are an icon of Istanbul. These representations can also teach us loads about life in those days. Among other things, these mosaics depict a woman carrying an amphora, a boy feeding a donkey, and two men milking goats.
Once an ancient square for chariot racing, the Hippodrome is now an open air museum. Learn about the story behind this ancient square, alongside it’s two Egyptian Obelisks and the Serpent Column. Then head over to the Museum of Turkish & Islamic Arts. This was originally built in 1524 as a palace and given to Pargalı Ibrahim Pasha, who had recently become Grand Vizier to Suleiman the Magnificent, one of Istanbul’s most important Sultans.
Learn about Turkey's relationship with Germany during the early 20th century at the German Fountain. This definite example of Neo-Byzantine architecture incorporates eclectic elements of the Byzantine style associated with Eastern and Orthodox Christian, with elements like marble columns, mosaics on the vaults and inlaid-stone pavements.
Delve into one of Istanbul's most beautiful destinations - the Basilica Cistern, also known as the Sunken Palace This was built by Justinian, a Byzantine emperor in the 6th century to provide the city with drinking water. The water travelled through an aqueduct from a reservoir in the Belgrade forest, some twenty kilometres from the city!
Relax at Cağaloğlu Hamam, one of Istanbul's traditional hamams. Public bathhouses were an important feature of Greco-Roman culture, and they were implanted across the Mediterranean, including Turkey, from early Byzantine times, in the 4th century. And then, a few centuries later
Explore Nuruosmaniye Mosque, an Ottoman Mosque built towards the end of their empire. The Nuruosmaniye happens to be one of the first examples of the Western Neoclassical style in Turkey, which takes Ottoman architecture and incorporates elements of Baroque and Rococo into it.
Finish the tour at the Grand Bazaar and get lost in this beautiful maze of 61 alleys and about 4,000 shops. It was constructed back in 1455 as a centre for local trade of clothing and jewels, where merchants could sell their products and make a profit for the Hagia Sofia Mosque. This was actually one of the first things the Ottomans built after they conquered Constantinople.
