private İstanbul tour programm

8/7/2019 private stanbul Tour Programm

1/14

Private stanbul Program for 2 or 3 days

This program includes visits to special Istanbul sites some of which are not thefocus of large tour groups due to requiring special interest or conveniencewhich includes difficulties with parking tour busses : As an instance in aninteresting list named 1000 places you should see before you die , thename of a mosque from Istanbul is given, Suleymaniye Mosque. This is moreimpressive than Blue Mosque; yet its location is not easily accessible for tourbusses or parking is expensive for tour vans ; as a result less tours go to seethis superior mosque of Istanbul.

Your tour guide will adjust the order of the visits, with daily small finetunings according to what accommodates you the best.On some of the days the cruiseship passengers crowd the major museums andon such days visiting especially Topkapi Palace around 4.30 5 p.m. maywork better. Topkapi Palace stays open until 7 pm .

Detailed descriptions of the sites mentioned in the program are at the bottomof these pages.

Day 1.

You will begin your day by exploring the 4 century old narrow streets aroundthe Spice Market before getting to the mainstream visitors interest, TheEgyptian Bazaar named as Spice Market in English resources.Then onto Sokullu M. Pasa mosque for a brief stop which is close to theBlue Mosque to have the experience of a visit to a mosque that is not themainstream tourist attraction. This is one of the most impressive mosques of architect Sinan of the 16 th century despite being smaller in size than the sultanmosques. The mosque has got pieces of the most sacred stone for theMuslims, the black stone hacerleswed.

Blue Mosque and Hippodrome will be the next stops. After lunch breakexplore Ayasofya , the Byzantine Cathedral, and Basilica Cistern.


2/14

Day 2.

Topkapi Palace and highlights of the Archaelogical Museum will cover thewhole morning.Notice : Harem of Topkapi palace is only available before 3 p.m., guides are

not allowed to give information in the Harem, and there is no palace guideinside. Only hiring an electronic talking guide hand unit is available.Dolmabahce palaces harem section is recommended more, since it has gotalmost all of the original furnitures as opposed to few in Topkapi .

After lunch a visit to a reputable warehouse , Sirca is possible, if you growyour interests in these Turkish arts : Ceramic and pottery. Sirca is theprovider of state ceramic gifts to the dignitaries of the countries visited bytheir Turkish counterparts; Attending a pottery production performance ispossible ( on most tours in the old town, walking from one site to anothernearbye one may equal walking and standing all day long; such stops for brief demonstrations also help to rest a bit. ) Later you can also stop by the storeof their major rival in Turkey , Iznik ceramic foundation if you have furtherinterest.

Proceed to Suleymaniye Mosque and Grand Bazaar.

Late afternoon : Explore Istiklal Street with tunel area, Balik Pazari ( fishmarket ) Nevizade Street, Cicek Pasaji, Ara Gulers caf ( just walk by) , St.Antuanne Church.

Day 3.

Drive along Golden Horn Estuary to go to Chora. Chora the Byzantine churchwith its Christian mosaics and frescoes Is in any art book referring to theByzantines.(visit http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/istanbul_kariye )

At 3 oclock is the Ottoman military band performance in Nisantasi district.Half an hour stay will introduce this band that influenced in Mozart, Beethovenand Chaikowsky. If the concert is indoors there will also be an impressiveslide presentation for 10 minutes.

On a weekend day , lesser known by visitors but trendy for locals is Ortakoydistrict ( see the site desription section below ) , where unpressurisedshopping with inexpensive souveniers from lady street vendors will beavailable, as well as a Bosphorus cruise.

We recommend a 3.30 p.m. visit to this area with a cruise by 4.20 or an hourlater.
http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/istanbul_kariyehttp://www.pbase.com/dosseman/istanbul_kariye


3/14

Time Planning :

The tours are 8 hours, they may begin at 8.30 9 or 9.30 according to yourselection ( most museums open at 9 or 9.30 )

Istiklal Street can best be enjoyed at early evening from 8 to 9 p.m. So,the day you would enjoy a late visit to Topkapi palace, Istiklal Street can becombined .

Bosphorus Cruise and Ortakoy district is more fun at about 7 p.m. , this canbe combined with your dinner, with the areas fine restaurants like Feriye. If you would like a late Ortakoy program after 5.30 p.m. though there will besurcharge for keeping your guide and your van longer, you will surely enjoythis better.

Your Tour Guide

We just use top guides for our tours. Your Tour Guide is Oguz Kosebalabanwho also has a bachelors degree from Ankara Universitys Faculty of PoliticalSciences. He is a short movie film maker and scenario writer. In April 2007 hisshort movie was found eligible to compete in the finals in a contest held byNokia , Turkey in cooperation with stanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts( http://www.iksv.org/film/english/film.asp?Cid=195 ) His movie is at theend of the list , since the list of movies is in Alphabetical order.

His travel articles are frequently being quoted in his colleagues tours. Hiswebsite address is www.welldoneturkey.com
http://www.iksv.org/film/english/film.asp?Cid=195http://www.iksv.org/film/english/film.asp?Cid=195http://www.welldoneturkey.com/http://www.iksv.org/film/english/film.asp?Cid=195http://www.iksv.org/film/english/film.asp?Cid=195http://www.welldoneturkey.com/


4/14

Site Descriptions :

Ortakoy District

This is a waterfront area that resembles to Seaport of New York City, themajor difference being the mosque instead of the mall at Seaport.This is right before the first suspension bridge connecting Europe to Asia overthe Bosphorus Straits, as referred to in Homers book Odyssey, the site of theclashing rocks.19th century Grand Mecidiye Mosque is situated on

the shore as if it were floating. This was the settingas the background with the mosque and the bridgeconnecting two continents for the speech of President Bush during Nato summit in 2004, thecontext of which was the peace between eastern andwestern world, the brotherhood of religions. Thelocation was intelligently chosen byThe U.S.( http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/06/20040629.html )

with especially the mosque being the background for president Bush at a timewhen American jets were bombing another muslim nations territory, Iraque.This contributed to the image of the U.S. to emphasise that the U.S. wasfriends with Islamic nations , the Iraque conflict does not have any religiousconnection. ( by then your guide Oguz Kosebalaban escorted CBS News,and analysed the choice for this setting for the tv commenter )

This area converts into an up scaled flea market the look is the look of a fleamarket but the items offered on the stands are brand new and nice, and pricesare much beter than the tripled or quadrupled rates of Grand Bazaar. But stilthere is minor negotiation possibilities from the low profit margins of thesesweat lady vendors.Daily after 4.20 there is a Bosphorus cruise departure from here.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/06/20040629.htmlhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/06/20040629.html


5/14

Istiklal Street

Ayasofya

(Below; on the left . Across Ayasofya on the right is Blue Mosque with 6minarets)

532-537 emperor Justinian I erected thegreatest Church in the ancient Christian world.The bold structure was a combination of RomanBasilica and domed Roman central building, thecentral element of which was a dome with adiameter of 101,7 ft (31 m) and a height of 160,7 ft. (49 m) after the example of Hadrian'sPantheon in Rome. Neither in Byzantine norOsmane days this dimension ever wassurpassed. After several seismic shockshowever the dome imploded in 558. The dome

we see today was consecrated in 562. The dome we see today is 23 ft (7 m)higher and was consecrated in 562.
http://www.sights-and-culture.com/Turkey/Istanbul-skyline-5543.jpg


6/14

Daylight is flooding the church through 91 windows, illuminating the incrediblebeauty of the interior, which is adorned with marble tiles, elaborate, colourful

mosaics and pictures, created from ceramics, precious and semipreciousstones, gold... The structure of the interior and the play of light convey theimpression of weightlessness, which certainly contributed to the churcheslegendary fame.

Thanks to its grandeur and beauty the church served as a house of God, evenunder the reign of Osmane Sultans, all together for almost 1400 years! Afterthe conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by the Turks under Mehmed II, theHagia Sophia was used as mosque until the Turkish republic was founded in1923. Today it is a museum.

Hippodrome

This is the area in front of Blue Mosque. The most preciousancient remnant of the Hippodrome and oldest monument

of Constantinople is the Egyptian obelisk, which was erectedby Pharaoh Thutmosis III in Karnak 1471 BC.

Tripod of Plataea : The three snakes of the Tripod of Plataea, seen on the left , was transferred to Constantinopleby the
http://www.sights-and-culture.com/Turkey/Istanbul-Hagia-Sophia-5506.jpghttp://www.sights-and-culture.com/Turkey/Istanbul-Hagia-Sophia-5505.jpghttp://www.sights-and-culture.com/Turkey/Istanbul-Hagia-Sophia-5502.jpghttp://www.sights-and-culture.com/Turkey/Istanbul-Hagia-Sophia-5496.jpg


7/14

emperor Constantine, where it stands todayin the Hippodrome Square. The names of the cities, which took part in thebattle, are written in the body.

Basilica Cistern

The cistern, built by emperor Justinian around 542, is also called the "SunkenPalace", which aptly reflects the magical atmosphere of this subterraneanbuilding. The reservoir had a capacity of 80.000 cubic feet of water andprovided the quarter around the Hagia Sophia as well as the emperor's palaceand later the Topkapi palace. On an area of 453 x 213 ft. (138 x 65 m) or 2,2

acres (8970 m) a dim wood of 336 marble columns, which support the up to8 m high vault, is reflected in thewater.

Walkways and atmospheric lighting make the Cistern a great tourist attraction,which takes you back into ancient times.
http://www.sights-and-culture.com/Turkey/Justinians-Cystern-5515.jpghttp://www.sights-and-culture.com/Turkey/Justinians-Cystern-5519.jpghttp://www.sights-and-culture.com/Turkey/Justinians-Cystern-5517.jpg


8/14

Topkap Palace

The imperial Palace of the Ottomans is the hub of the Ottoman universe(complete sightseeing tour: allow for day) After conquering Constantinople,Mehmet II chose the smartest spot in town as his home. At the tip of thepeninsula on which Constantinople was located, washed by the waves of theGolden Horn and the Sea of Marmara, he built his Topkapi Palace subdividedinto four courtyards. It wasn't just his home, however. This is where thestrings of world history were being pulled: the business of the empire was

done , the Ottoman bureaucracy was educated, and the sultan'selite troops, the janissaries, housed (first courtyard). By the way,from this first courtyard one path towards ( the direction of thestreet car street ) north takes you to the Archaelogical museum .

And being less than careful in the second courtyard could actuallycost you your head. If you were only waiting to see the sultan

about something (third courtyard), you'd better watch which queue you werein the sultan's executioners were also housed here, ready to fulfil theirmaster's wishes. And, if you thought you could catch a glimpse of what wasgoing on in the harem (Buy a separate ticket , well worth the

visit!), you'd be very wrong. The harem, well-guarded by thesultan's mother, could be entered by only one man - the sultanhimself (as you can well imagine, eunuchs could come and goas they pleased). From the early 16th century, when thebrothers of the heir to the throne were no longer being sentstraight back to meet their maker, they were also allowed tolive in the harem. ( in a cosy cell ) And if now, like the sultan informer times, you feel like taking a break and a cup of coffee,go on to the fourth courtyard, a large garden with pavilions andan unforgettable view of the entrance to the Bosphorus.

Spice Market


9/14

Kuru yemis (KOO-roo yeh-meesh) means "dried fruits." Turkey grows a lot of wonderful fruit. To preserve and store it in the days before tin cans andrefrigeration, much of it was dried. Dried fruit is convenient! No cans orpackages to open or dispose of, no need for refrigeration. Just add mouth!Plums, figs, dates, apricots, apples...even blackberries and other berries whichare pressed and dried into sheets ("fruit leather"), the stuff you see right atthe center of the photo above; from the Spice Market. Don't forget the nuts:high protein, high flavor, low maintenance: walnuts, almonds, peanuts,pistachios and of course hazelnuts (filberts), of which Turkey's Black SeaCoast furnishes half the world supply.

Grand Bazaar

Though this bazaar became rather touristy especially with cruiseships bringingcouples of ten thousand visitors on some of the days! ; still this is animpressive site at least for window shopping ; if you are not pulled into a shopby a slightly more than enthusiastic! Vendor! :))

The mother of all covered market places had humble beginnings as a muchsmaller market in 1461, during the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror. Now


10/14

comprised of well over four thousand shopsstretching over a maze of sixty-odd winding streets, iteasily holds the title of largest covered market in theworld. And inside: everything from belly-dancingoutfits to 'cezve' (pronounced 'jesveh' - the special

copper pots for brewing Turkish coffee). The bazaar'sstreets are named and labeled, but still confusing.Unfortunately, this bustling space of the new and oldhas had its fair share of tragedies. Earthquakes andfires have both affected the building more than once -the most recent being the major fire of 1954. Aftereach event, the Grand Bazaar was repaired, butoriginal records have been lost forever. And so, we'velost that bit of history too. But life marches on in andaround the bazaar. Around, because the marketplaceis not merely within the walls of the official coveredsection, but it also extends past the surrounding areas

to create an open-air shopping arena that disappears each evening until itssubsequent morning arrival.

BosphorusCruise

Bosphorus Straits divides Europe from Asia and connects Black Sea toMarmara Sea and never fails to impress visitors with upscaled waterfrontwooden mansions, palaces, fortresses, parks and woods.


11/14

Bosphorus is mentioned twice in Mythology : Jason and the Argounatscrossing the clashing rocks ( Bosphorus Straits must then be an earth quakefault line - hence ; "clashing rocks" ) , and its link with Io , the mistress of Zeus , giving it the name Bosphorus , meaning the passage of the heifer. Notto forget Persian King Darius crossing his army on a bridge made up of boats

anchored next to one another. 2 impressive suspension bridges, palatialhouses on both sides, Ottoman Palaces (Dolmabahce, Beylerbeyi, Ciragan ) ,Castles ( Rumeli and Anadolu Castles ), mosques, forests and more.

Blue Mosque

Sultan Ahmed I, who ascended the throne at the age of fourteen was anextremely religious-minded sultan, who displayed his religious fervor in hisdecision to construct a mosque to compete with Ayasofya. For the site, asuitable place was long sought before the decision was taken. At last themosque decided to build on the site of the palace of Ayse Sultan. The owner of the palace was compensated and the site prepared by the architect SedefkarMehmet Aga, who began the construction in 1609. This architect poet andinlayer completed this great work in 1617. An imperial lodge, school, servicekiosk and single and double storied shops were included in the complex, whichspread over the area around the mosque. The mosque itself is surrounded onthree sides by a broad courtyard, and is entered on each side by a total of eight portals. The inner court is reached through three gates, and is paved inmarble, and surrounded by revaks supported on columns of pink granite andmarble, and two of porphyry, and surmounted by 30 cupolas. A fine fountainfor ablution takes up the center of the courtyard, surrounded by six marble

columns. The mosque is unique with its six minarets in Istanbul. Four of thesehave three balconies, two have two balconies each, a total of 16 in all. Themost original feature of the mosque is the 260 windows through which it is sowell lit. A total of 21043 tiles have been used in the interior. The mosquereceived its synonym as the Blue Mosque from the bluish haze given to theinterior by these tiles. The faience consists of floral and rumi motifs of various


12/14

colors on white ground. These are very fine examples of the art of tiling. Thebronze and wooden decorations and artifacts of the mosque are also very fine.Calligraphy is the work of Kasim Gubari and the fine mother-of-pearl windowshutters are the work of Sedefkar Mehmet Ada. Ahmed I died in 1617 and wasburied near the mosque.

Sleymaniye Mosque

The cascading domes and four slender minarets of the ImperialSuleymaniye Mosque dominate the skyline on the Golden Horn's west bank.Considered the most beautiful of all imperial mosques in Istanbul, it was builtbetween 1550 and 1557 by Sinan, the renowned architect of the OttomanEmpire's golden age. Erected on the crest of a hill, the building is conspicuousfor its great size, emphasized by the four minarets that rise from each comerof the courtyard. Inside are the mihrab (prayer niche showing the direction toMecca) and the mimber (pulpit) made of finely carved white marble andexquisite stained-glass windows coloring the incoming streams of light. It wasin the gardens of this complex that Suleyman and his wife, Hurrem Sultan(Roxelane), had their mausolea built, and near here also Sinan built his owntomb. The mosque complex also includes four medreses, or theologicalschools, a school of medicine, a caravanserai, a Turkish bath, and a kitchenand hospice for the poor.

Turkish Bath


13/14

Another great experience in Istanbul is experiencing a Turkish Bath visit atone of the historical Istanbul Baths in the Old Town. Before the timeseveryone had a bathroom in their homes, a trip to the hammam wasessential, in order to perform your ritual cleansing which was also a mustaccording to Islam. While declining in popularity amongst the local folks sincethe widespread availability of hot and cold running water, the hammamcontinues to be a "try it once" type activity for enthusiastic visitors. A funnyaction Turkish bath sequence of one of Jackie Chans Movie Golden Fist wasfilmed in one of these Baths.

( as described by a visitor in past years : )

Wiley and I paid 10 million lira ( the ongoing rate for full service isabout 70 Lira , today = 55$ ) each for our scrubbings. Then we parted,as the hammam we were in wasn't co-ed, but apparently many are today. Ididn't really want a guy giving me a bath, so we specifically hunted this placedown. Once in the women's changing area, I was given a thin cloth, a lockerkey, and told to "take everything off". ( you may wear your bathing suit,but still they provide a bath material the size of a bath towel , whichyou wrap around your body ) I obeyed, somewhat tenuously, and silentlywished that I had read more closely the section of the guidebook thatdescribes exactly WHAT you're supposed to do, once inside.

The changing room attendant pointed the way into a hallway, which I followed,until it came to a large, domed room, with a round marble slab in the center,and marble sinks all around the outside. There was one woman in therealready, laid out on the slab, so I followed her lead. I took off my cloth,spread it out on the warm marble, and laid myself out. I was somewhat

uncomfortable at first, but more and more women came into the room, and itbecame obvious that none of us had a clue what was going on, so I relaxed.It was very warm in the room and I was sweating profusely, but it was quietand calm in there, and I just laid back and looked lazily at the warm sunlightfiltering in through the small circular windows in the dome.


14/14

private İstanbul tour programm

Documents