Cruising all the way up to the most important fortress on the Bosphorus and return by having a great panorama of the water dividing two continents.
The Blue Mosque
The Blue Mosque in the Old City of Istanbul is so named because of the beautiful blue Iznik tiles decorating the interior. Officially called the 'Sultan Ahmet Mosque' by local people, it was built by Sultan Ahmet in 1609 and completed 7 years later.
Byzantine Hippodrome
THE "Hippodrome" also known as "The Horse Square" in the Ottoman period, is located near the Blue Mosque. During the Byzantine period, chariot races were held here. The square was the most central region in that period, where important activities were held such as various entertainments, coronation ceremonies and victory parades. It was a huge area, with a width of 117 meters, and length of 480 meters, and could hold a capacity of 100 thousand people.
Grand Covered Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest covered markets in the world with 60 streets and 5,000 shops, and attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. It is well known for its jewellery, hand-painted ceramics, carpets, embroideries, spices and antique shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by type of goods, with special areas for leather, gold jewellery and the like. The bazaar has been an important trading centre since 1461 and its labyrinthine vaults feature two bedestens (domed buildings), the first of which was constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror. The bazaar was vastly enlarged in the 16th century, during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and in 1894 underwent a major restoration following an earthquake.
Spice Market
The Spice Bazaar is one of the oldest bazaars in the city. Located in Eminönü, it is the second largest covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar. The Spice Bazaar is an “L”-shaped building, consisting of 88 vaulted rooms, almost all of which are now divided into an upper and lower story.
Monumental gateways are at the ends of both halls, with chambers above each entranceway. The main entrance is in the southwest corner, facing the Yeni Mosque.
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