THE MAGICAL SEVEN HILLS CITY ISTANBUL

Arrival at Istanbul Airport and tranfer to our hotel.

Today our trip will start Dolmabahce Palace.It’s just as a sultan’s palace should be: huge and sumptuous, with 285 rooms, 43 large salons, a 4000 kg (4-1/2-ton) Bohemian glass chandelier, and a Bosphorus-shore façade nearly 500 meters (1/4 mile) long. It’s the grandest of Ottoman imperial palaces.As with every traditional Ottoman grand residence (or palace), Dolmabahçe consists of two distinct parts: the Selamlık, or “public” area, and the Haremlik, or family private quarters.After the Selamlık, we can walk around to the back of the palace to the entrance of the Haremlik, where the succession of ever more sumptuous rooms continues. One room of special interest is that in which Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic, died on November 10, 1938, while on a visit to Istanbul. Next route will be Taksim Square that is a major tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops, and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the central station of the Istanbul Metro network. On the Istiklal Street, we will visit The Church of Saint-Antoine (St Anthony of Padua) which is the largest church of the Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul. The red-brick Franciscan church was built by Giulio Mongeri and Edoardo de Nani in Gothic style from 1906, after a 1724 church was destroyed to make way for the new tramway. Along with the St Mary Draperis and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul, as well as several other churches, St Anthony of Padua is one of the most important Catholic churches in Istanbul, and among them has the largest community following its masses. Next visit is the Galata Tower.Considered among the oldest towers in the world and one of the symbols of Istanbul, Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi) was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List in 2013. Galata Tower, one of the most important structures that make up the silhouette of Istanbul, was used as a long-term fire watchtower and was named Galata Fire Tower. You can see 360° panoramic view of Istanbul.We will chance to see historic Pera Palace Hotel that is held its opening ball in 1895. Its clientele often arrived on the Orient Express train and, over the years, the hotel hosted such luminaries as Atatürk, Agatha Christie, Ernest Hemingway and Greta Garbo. Recently, it has undergone a full restoration and has re-opened its doors for you to experience the nostalgia of that glamorous era. We will be served tea and cake as complimentary. Back to hotel for overnighting.

After having breakfast at the hotel, we will see the Old City. Istanbul is a city full of famous iconic sites that today, we will get to experience for ourselves. We will visit the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia who are famous in Turkey with their breathtaking silhouettes that make the skyline so unique. Then we will move on to the Topkapi Palace, a beautiful Ottoman palace once home to the Ottoman Sultans and the first president of Turkey. Next, we will spend some time visiting where the gladiators of ancient Roman Constantinople, entertained the crowds at the site of the Hippodrome. Then, we will turn back our hotel.

Another pleasant day awaits us. Firstly, we will visit The Grand which is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world with over 60 marbled streets and over 4,000 shops. Our next duration will be the 17th century Spice Bazaar, an extraordinary, colorful and fantastic place to see where we can buy various gifts for your loved ones. We will have lunch at Galata Bridge that the fish we dine on in the restaurants under the roadway are caught farther out to sea. We will have boat trip on Bosphorus. While our cruise, our tour guide will inform you about all the highlights and the landmarks of Istanbul with the most comfortable timing for sightseeing. Another important place to see in Istanbul is Suleymaniye Mosque. The mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent, was built in the 16th century by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan for Sultan Suleyman the Magnificient, also known as the Legislator. It stands on a hilltop (3rd hill) dominating the Golden Horn and contributing to the skyline of Istanbul. The mosque is the largest mosque of Istanbul. Turkey is famous with good leather products and we will have chance to buy for ourselves and loved ones.

Our last day will start to visit Istanbul's Archaeological Museums that contains an important and beautifully presented collection of statuary, stele, sarcophagi, and other antiquities from throughout the Middle East, much hailing from the Classical Era.There are many highlights, but the sarcophagi from the Royal Necropolis of Sidon are particularly striking. Also it holds big collection of Troy and homes to the Alexander Sarcophagus. Tour will continue to see St. Stephen Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church that is one of Indianapolis' oldest Orthodox Christian churches. Another must seen point of Istanbul is Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarchy. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Istanbul has been the spiritual center of the Greek Orthodox world since around 1600. Officially the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, it is known locally as the Fener Rum Patrikhanesi (Fener Greek Patriarch), it could be considered the Vatican of Eastern Orthodox church, and the 18th century Aya Yorgi Kilisesi (Church of St. George, Istanbul), which stands in the grounds of it, attracts coachloads of pilgrims from Greece for Sunday mass, particularly at Easter time. We are ending our itinerary with Pierre Loti Hill.opens a magnificent panoramic view of the Golden Horn.The hill is named after Pierre Loti, a French novelist and naval officer who wrote his first novel, Aziyadé, after sojourning in the tea house here in 1876. Take a short cable car ride to the top of this historic place to enjoy your time.

We leave from this magical city, Istanbul and turn back to our homes with beautiful memories.