TURKEY
DAY TOURS ....... Regular Group and Private Guided Excursions
in Istanbul |
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BYZANTINE
& OTTOMAN RELICS - Highlights of Istanbul Tour |
(09:00
to 17:00) |
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Depart
from your hotel in the morning on a full day tour visiting some
of the most important
sights in Istanbul. The days tour includes: the Blue Mosque: with
its magnificent series of
domes and semi-domes, its six slender minarets sprouting from
the corners of the mosque,
its spacious courtyard and its grandiose yet elegant proportions.
The Hippodrome & Obelisk: scene of chariot races and the center
of Byzantine civil life. The magnificent Haghia Sophia:
built first as a church at the command of
Emperor Justinian in the years 532 to 537, later converted to
a mosque and now a museum. Also visit the maze that is
the Grand Bazaar:
built at the command of Fatih Mehmet shortly
after the conquest, it contains 4399 shops,
2195 workshops, 497 stalls and 18 fountains. Then to Topkapi
Palace: administrative center
of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 400 years. Last but not least
visit Suleymaniye Mosque. |
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Price:
Euro per person |
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BOSPHOROUS
CRUISE & DOLMABAHCE PALACE |
(09:00
to 17:00) |
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Depart
from your hotel in the morning for a full day tour starting with
a morning cruise on the
Bosphorous. Visit the Spice (Egyptian) Bazaar which specializes
in the sale of spices and
herbs. Then embark and being the cruise down the Bosphorus - the
waterway between two
continents. On the way to the Black Sea, you can see the finest
and richest examples of
Ottoman houses and palaces on the shores. The boat stops for a
visit to Rumeli Fortress:
its crenellated walls and round towers are popular with photgraphers
along with the amazing
view to be had from the top. After cruise the
tour continues on land taking you to visit the
Dolmabahce Palace: This area was originally the bay where the
navy anchored in the early periods when the Ottomans conquered
Istanbul. Then cross the Bosphorus Bridge: unique
chance to step from one continent (Europe) to another (Asia) within
a few minutes. Lastly
visit Camlica Hill: one of the highest points of the Bosphorus
and Istanbul with wonderful
panoramic views including the Marmara Sea, the Bosphorus, Historical
Peninsula & islands.
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Price:
Euro per person |
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PRINCES
ISLAND CRUISE - visit to Buyukada |
(09:00
to 17:00) |
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Meet
with the guide in the hotel lobby for transfer to the port and
embark on the vessel which
will take you to Buyukada Island, located in the Sea of Marmara,
twenty kilometers from the
historic peninsula. This popular summer resort with its beaches
and pinewood scenery, was
once the pleasure island of the Byzantine Princes'. Enjoy a horse
drawn carrage ride, one of the only means of transport, as motor-vehicles
are strictly prohibited, and view lavish Ottoman
mansions and other beautiful Victorian summer villas. Then sit
back and relax for a while
during the break for lunch. After lunch, return cruise to Istanbul. |
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Price:
Euro per person |
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BYZANTINE
MEETS OTTOMAN TOUR |
(09:00
to 13:00) |
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For
those of your who don't have the whole day available for sightseeing
this tour covers four
of the main highlights of the Sultanahmet historical area. Visit
the Blue Mosque with its grandiose yet elegant proportions, the
ancient Hippodrome and Obelisk, the St Sophia which
was built at the command of Emperor Justinian and the Grand Bazaar
which was built at the
command of Fatih Mehmet shortly after the Conquest. |
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Price:
Euro per person |
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BOSPHOROUS
CRUISE TOUR |
(09:00
to 13:00) |
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This
morning tour takes you for a cruise on the Bosphorous which seperates
the East from
the West. During the cruise you have the opportunity to view the
numerous mosques, villas,
mansion and other sights that dot the shoreline. The cruise also
makes a stop to the Rumeli
Fortress which took less than four months to build, thanks to
3000 laborers and master
masons assigned to the task. The mornings tour also includes a
visit to the famous Spice
Bazaar which is an attractive L-shaped building to the southwest
of the Yeni Cami. |
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Price:
Euro per person |
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OTTOMAN
MAJESTY - Topkapi Palace & Suleymaniye |
(13:00
to 17:00) |
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This
afternoon tour takes you to visit Topkapi Palace and Suleymaniye
Mosque. Topkapi
Palace was the administrative center, for nearly 400 years, for
the Ottoman Empire, which
was one of greatest empires of the world. In 1461, less than 10
years after the Conquest,
Fatih Mehmet ordered the construction of Topkapi Sarayi a palace
that would be known as
Dar-üs Saadet, the "House of Felicity". Topkapi
Sarayi remained the seat of the Ottoman
Sultans until 1868, when Abdülmecit I moved to the European-style
Dolmabahce Palace.
Afterways on to visit Süleymaniye Mosque which is without
question one of the greatest
works of its architect, Sinan. Begun in 1550, the mosque was completed
in 1557, with two more years required in order to finish the entire
complex. |
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Price:
Euro per person |
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DOLMABAHCE
PALACE & ASIA |
(13:00
to 17:00) |
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Depart
from the hotel in the afternoon on the tour to visit Dolmabahce
Palace, the Bosphorous
Bridge and Camlica Hill. Firstly Dolmabahce Palace: this area
was originally the bay where
the
navy anchored in the early periods when the Ottomans conquered
Istanbul. Between 1611
till 1614, this bay was filled in and a building with a large
gardens was built by the order of
Sultan Ahmet I. Then cross the Bosphorus Bridge, it is the 4th
longest suspension bridges in the Europe and 7th in the world.
Lastly on to Camlica Hill which is one of the highest points of
the Bosphorus and Istanbul. There are wonderful panoramic views
which include the Marmara
Sea, the Bosphorus, the Historical Peninsula and nearby islands.
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Price:
Euro per person |
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