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If you have a limited time in the city and if you want to visit the most important historical buildings in the city, then you should choose this private tour.

This tour can be done as half day morning tour or half day afternoon tour. In this tour you will visit the Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia with our guide.

Topkapi Palace is the first main palace in Istanbul for the Ottomans. It was build in the 15th century by the Ottoman sultan II. Mehmet (the Conqueror). It was used as a palace for 400 years by 25 different sultans and in 1924 it was converted into a museum. The palace has three monumental gates. The first gate which is called Bab-ı Hümayun means the Imperial Gate, is the most important one. Over the imperial gate it’s possible to see the inscriptions praising the sultan who ordered to build the palace. Behind each of these gates, the palace has large courtyards. Totally, there are four courtyards in the palace and the most important one is the second courtyard which is called the Procession Square. In the second courtyard, Divan-Humayun which means the Imperial Council is definitely must be seen. Except the imperial council the kitchens are also worth to see. In the third courtyard the Holy Relics section is very important, especially for the Muslims. After visiting all these sections of the palace, finally you can enjoy the perfect view of the Bosphorus strait and you can take very nice photos at the fourth courtyard.

Hagia Sophia, means the Divine Wisdom in Greek and it is an attribute of Christ. For many centuries it was largest church and nowadays it is the fourth largest in the world after St. Paul’s in London, St. Peter’s in Rome and the Duomo in Florence.

Today’s Hagia Sophia is the third building built at the same place. The first two of them were burned down and destroyed during the riots in the city. And the final building, today’s Hagia Sophia was built between the years 532-537, by the Byzantine emperor Justinian. The architects were Anthemius and Isidorus. In the construction of Hagia Sophia, ten thousand workers worked under the supervision of one hundred master builders.

From 537 to 1453, Hagia Sophia was used as a church by the Romans. And after the conquest of the city by the Ottomans, it was converted into a mosque as the symbol of the conquest. It was used as a mosque between 1453 and 1934.In 1934, it was announced to be a museum for the visits of all the people from different religions and it was a great example of the Turkish hospitality.

What’s Included

  • Transportation with AC buses
  • English speaking tour Guide

What’s Not Included

  • Museum tickets
  • Personal expenses