Istanbul Tour from Marmaris

The tour to Istanbul from Marmaris allows you to combine acquaintance with the history, culture and traditions of Turkey. Tourists will see the main attractions of this glorious city. A comfortable bus is available for the trip around the city.

Topkapi Palace

Topkapi was the main palace in the Ottoman Empire until the middle of the 19th century. It is located in the historical center of the city. Today it is one of the largest museums in the world. It has more than 650,000 exhibits and only 10% of them are available for general viewing. The main shrines of the Muslims, the cloak and sword of the Prophet Muhammad, are kept here.

The Topkapi palace was built in the 15th century. It includes four courtyards which are separated and surrounded by a wall. There are many pavilions, halls and apartments, a church and mosques. The entire palace and park ensemble occupy more than 700,000 m².

Aya Sofia

The temple was built in the 6th century. It symbolizes the golden age of Byzantium and is a monument of its architecture. For more than a millennium the temple was the largest one in Christianity. In the 15th century, the Ottoman conquerors turned it into a mosque.

Today the temple is a museum and reflects its mixed history. It contains many mosaics depicting Christian themes that are remarkably close to Islamic elements of architecture and decoration:

–         minarets erected during the rule of different sultans;

–         a carved marble minbar;

–         a mihrab.

Hippodrome

Once known as an ancient hippodrome, it is now the main city square called the Sultanahmet. One of its attractions is the German Fountain, which was donated to the Ottomans by the German Empire. It is built in the form of an 8-angle gazebo and is an example of neo-byzantine architecture.

Another attraction is the obelisk of Theodosius, also called Egyptian. The column was brought in at the end of the 4th century and placed on the marble pedestal. The granite obelisk is the oldest building in Istanbul which is over 36 centuries old. It is covered with Egyptian hieroglyphics on all sides.

There are other sights in the square:

–         The Serpent Column is an ancient Greek construction made of bronze. It is 8 m high and is the part of the sacrificial tripod of the Temple of Apollo (Delphi);

–         The Obelisk of Constantine is a 21-meter monument of stone blocks;

–         Blue mosque.

It is the main mosque of the city and one of its symbols. In its exterior, Byzantine and Islamic architecture are mixed. The mosque was built in the 17th century, it holds nearly 10,000 people. The name was conditioned with its unique decor – white and blue ceramic tiles. They made them manually, and more than 20,000 of them were used.

The Blue Mosque has an incredible decoration. It’s a mihrab that has a single block of marble, over 250 windows, and a carpeted floor. The temple has 6 minarets, a 43-metre dome on 4 columns, where a sura from the Qur’an and a saying from the prophet Muhammad are written.

Egyptian bazaar

This market is considered the second one after the Grand Bazaar. There are about 100 stores that sell:

–         all kinds of sweets;

–         dried fruit;

–         spice;

–         Medical herbs;

–         Dairy products;

–         meat products.

Eminönü Square

It is a historical district of Istanbul with many of its attractions, including all of the above-mentioned. From the east, Eminönü is washed by the Bosphorus. If the weather is favorable, it’s great to take a boat ride to view the iconic monuments and bridges of Istanbul from a special perspective.

You can book the Istanbul tour on our website. The distance from the Marmaris resort is long, therefore air travel is necessary. The tour price includes its cost in both directions, transfer to the airport from hotels and back and guiding services.[:]