Tour overview
PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO ONGOING RESTORATIONS IN CHORA CHURCH, THIS TOUR ISN’T OPERATED.
Sights to visit in today’s Istanbul Tour; Byzantine City Walls, Chora Church, Tekfur Palace
Welcome to Istanbul city which was once Constantinople,
Today, we will visit city walls protecting Byzantine Empire for centuries until May 1453,
You will see relics of an empire to comprehend Byzantine history in depth with explanations of your professional local tour guide in 4 hours,
Accompany of a local and knowledgeable person during your tour here will make you more comfortable and give you a chance to learn more both about history, culture, art, and architecture of the city.
Your tour guide will meet you at *Starbucks Coffee Sultanahmet and make your way to city walls first and then Chora Church/Kariye Camii. Please advise if you would like to set a different location for meeting.
Important Information;
Due to restorations in Chora Church, it is closed for visit, so tour won’t be operated until end of restoration.
Tekfur Palace is closed on Mondays, so it can be replaced with another site, entrance of Tekfur Palace is free of charge.
Included
- Private Tour
- Private Professional Tour Guide
- Skip-the-line-priority to buy museum tickets
Not Included
- Entrance Fees
- Transportation
- Guide Tips
Meeting With Your Guide
Meeting point is entrance gate of *Starbucks Coffee Sultanahmet to start your tour in historical peninsula. Your guide will have tour guide badge/license on his/her neck for notice.
Byzantine City Walls
Surrounding triangle of Historical Peninsula of Constantinople, first walls were built dduring Emperor Constantine and reinforced during reign of Theodosios II so it's also known as the Theodosian Walls in some sources. For more than a milenium it protected the city against nomads, Arabs and Ottomans until 1453, young sultan Mehmet who is named as Fatih 'Conqueror' after taking over the city. He also fortified the walls and added towers which are known as Yedikule 'Seven Towers' today.
Chora Church / Kariye Mosque
Also known as Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora is nestled in the shadow of Theodosius II's city walls and now a museum, it receives a fraction of the visitor numbers that the famous Aya Sofya attracts but offers equally fascinating insights into Byzantine art with various scenes from Holy Bible such as Mary and the Baby Jesus Surrounded by her Ancestors. After serving as a mosque for Muslims for a few centuries it's converted into a museum for visitors.
Tekfur Palace
Tekfur Palace which is also known as Palace of the Porphyrogenitus is the only palace to remain from the Blaherne Palace complex in Istanbul. It is located in Edirnekapi district within the boundaries of Fatih District in Istanbul; The thick-walled palace, built adjacent to the land walls and situated between Edirnekapı and Egrikapı, is called “Tekfur Palace”.
End of Your Tour
Your tour will be completed here and please feel free to contact us if you would like to extend your tour with our alternatives and visit other wonders of Istanbul.
