Complete Day Sultanhamet :
Complete day devoted to discovered historical heritage of the city, visits district of Sultanahmet in company of a French-speaking guide.
Within the program, you will visit the old residence of the sultans Othoman the palace of “Topkapý” and its porcelain collections and jewelleries; The church of Holy Sophie built at the 6th century (the single architecture but also broadest of the world); the place of the hippodrome.
Discovery of the famous Blue Mosque. It is one of the religious monuments most famous of the world.
The name Blue Mosque comes from it’s 20.000 enamelled earthenware squares to dominant blue and green which decorate the dome and the walls, getting a bluish environment at this building. The interior bathes in a blued light coming directly from some 260 windows.
Visit Holy Basilica Sophie, one exceptional vestiges from a glorious time. A unique architecture, Holy-Sophie was used as a source of inspiration for the Ottoman mosques and it is always the symbol of triumphing Islam.
At the end of the afternoon discovery of the district surrounding of the Grand Bazaar followed by Egyptian Bazaar (bazaar of spices) we can also offer you a little marvel signed by one of the greatest architect of the Ottoman Empire “Sinan”: the mosque of Rûstem Paþa.
Golden Horn :
We will leave the traditional ways to discovered the district Fener and district Eyüp in the extension of the Golden Horn. We will start with the visit of St saver in Chora jewel of the city with the glory and the freshness of its interior decoration, its paintings and mosaics. We will approach then Istanbul at Ottoman periode which becomes capital when Mehmet II enters there as a winner in 1453. The Chezhade Mosque, marks the birth of the Ottoman classical architecture. Sinan, the brilliant architect of three successive sultans, made proof, in this modest monument, at the same time of prudence and an extreme audacity. Sinan will carry Ottoman architecture to its apogee by building for Soliman the Magnificent majestic Mosque Süleymaniye. We will benefit from this passage in the district of Fener to discover there the enclosure of Théodose II, chief of work of military architecture as well as the castle of the seven turns which, although not much visited, hide the old “door Gold” of Constantinople.
You will be able to see also there the vestiges of the last Byzantine palace called Constantine Porphyrogenitus
We will finish the day in the old quarter of Eyup holy place, venerated, where rests, in a mausoleum covered with earthenware, one of the companions of the Prophet. Through a gigantic cemetery, a real museum in the open air of Ottoman funerary architecture, a way will lead us to the top of the hill of Eyüp, to the cafe where Pierre Loti find himself fascinated by the city.
Quarter of Pera / Galata
We will begin our day with the visit of the sumptuous palace of Dolmabahce.
We will take then the direction of the quarter of Pera.
The quarter of Pera, which means “beyond” (of Galata) in Greek, is the prolongation of the district génois. Its urbanization accelerated at the XIXe century. Indeed, the colonial great powers of the time, making pressure on the Sublime Door to obtain commercial advantages and territorial concessions, installed embassies and banks there.
Christian big families resided and frequenter at the street of Independence (Istiklâl Caddesi), marked out prestigious schools, middle-class buildings, banks, theatres and taverns. A programme of rehabilitation of the district undertaken recently to make the old Pera revive and find its gloss of yore.
After the visit of a convent of turning dervishes, founded in XVIe century, this “Tekke”, considered as the oldest convent of Halevti in Istanbul, we will go to the Independence street, broaded with palaces, old seats of embassies, like the palace of France, which was the first embassy to be settled in XVIe century, the Russian and Dutch consulates , and also the Corpi palace, magnificent private mansion which was the seat of the Embassy of the United States.
The majority of the Eastern and Western rites of Christianity are represented in Pera with large Catholic churches like Saint Louis of the French, built by a capuchin, Saint Antoine de Padoue (of Italian style), founded by franciscains and Sainte Marie Draperis, who shelters the miraculous icon of the Virgin.
Our steps will lead us to the colleges and schools considered, built by foreigners where they had multilingual curriculum, like the college Sainte Pulchérie, the school Pierre Loti, or the Galatasaray college which, has a curriculum mainly in French in addition to Turkish. At the XIXe century, the bazaars were particularly important. They preserved their decorated entries situated on passages carrying the name of their founder or the name of cities or country (passage of Halep, of Anatolia).
In the passage of the flowers the most famous taverns of Istanbul were installed. The most famous one hotel Pera Palace, built for the passengers of the East Express train will accomodate us in its sall, in the wake of Agatha Christie. And before we finish this architectural walk by a frontage of style art-déco: the Botter house, we will make a stop in one of famous patisserie of the district to create charm of “Eastern Paris”
We will leave the historical centre, the ancient and medieval heart of Istanbul to discover, while crossing the Gold Horn, the district génois of Galata, known as also European district with its franques houses, its suspended churches, its synagogues, its workshops and its trade.
· From a very old establishment since a Greek colony was installed there before our era, the suburb borrowed its name from “gallates”, tribes Celtic which came from Asia Mineure and which were established there under the emperor Théodose II. The district became, at the Middle Ages, the strategic center of the Venetian traders and génois which had wide concessions there. But they are the génois, who established with the accesses of the tower of Galata, which makes them come together with the Byzantines against the Venetian and the crusaders, were established most durably, by creating an autonomous counter, with its port, its trade, its court and its ramparts. They preserved a certain independence under the Ottomans, thanks to their passivity at the time of the seat of the city in 1453.
Cruse day on the Bosphorus and discovery of the continent Asia:
The day will be devoted to the mythical Bosphorus, connecting the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea.
Departure by boat for an architectural discovery of the sumptuous palaces and “Yali” which marked the ostentation of the Othoman period.
On western bank, we will make a halt with the Fortress of Roumeli Hisar, built in three months by the young sultan Mehmet II to besiege Constantinople, then we will pass to the Asian side for a visit of the palace of Belerbeyi, estival residence of the last Ottoman sultans.
We will continue our discovery of Asian side by the district of Uskudar, which has Oriental seal with the particular environment of these streets and two other works of the famous architect “Sinan”: Mihrimah Camii, high for the girl of Soliman the Magnificent, and charming it small mosque of Chemsi Pasha.
Princes Island :
Walk on the island vis-a-vis Istanbul “Buyukada”. Departure by boat to the island. The islands of the princes reigns a different and a real village environment.
Far from the cars and deafening noises of the city here you can enjoys the slience and the charm of this film set atmosphere. Formerly called the islands of the priests because of the great number of convents which are now the secondry homes of the fortunate Turks. On foot or by bicycle make the tour of the island to discover there the monastery of Saint Nicolas, the convent St Michel, Cankaya Caddesi then a little further the splendid coastal landscapes. Where you can find an architecture which combines the new art and the Oriental style.
Bursa :
Departure by boat for a walk in the town of Bursa. This old capital of the sultans abounds in richnesses with its mosques, its bazaar but its also these workshops of work of silk.
Green city between sea and mountain it offers another vision of Turkey in a town of 2 million inhabitants.
Profit your visit to Bursa to taste Iskender Kebap a little marvel of its special gastronomy.
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