The Byzantine Church of Divine Wisdom. Originally built as an Orthodox basilica, it later was used as a mosque, and now is a museum. Built in 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople and was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years. Upon the conquering of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, it became a mosque and was used as such until 1931.

Departing Hagia Sophia you will next visit the world renowned Blue Mosque finished in 1616. The Blue Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet I when he was only 19 years old. The interior of the mosque is lined with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles in more than fifty different tulip designs. The tiles at lower levels are traditional in design, while in the galleries they become flamboyant with representations of flowers, fruit and trees.

the seat of Ottoman sultans between the 15th and 19th centuries, and stuffed with imperial treasures and artifacts

In this labyrinth of streets and passages are more than 4000 shops with each trade having its own area; the goldsmiths’ street, the carpet sellers, Turkish arts and crafts, such as handpainted ceramic plates, hand-honed copperware, brasware and trays, water ewers, onyxware and meerschaum pipers.

Obelisk of Theodosius Walled Obelisk

This historical fountain 15 located in Sultanahmet square across the tomb of Sultan Ahmet I. It was a present to the sultan and to the city by German Kaiser Wilhelm II. Made in Germany, in the neo-Byzantine style and ornamented inside with gold mosaic it was erected in Istanbul in 1901