Excursions in Istanbul

The city is saturated with the aroma of coffee and spices. It is full of noisy streets and cozy courtyards. Theru and Hemingway drew inspiration in Istanbul. According to the research of Travel & Leisure magazine, the Grand Bazaar regularly becomes the most visited tourist attraction in the world.

Istanbul tours

Artifacts discovered by archaeologists in recent years indicate that the city was inhabited more than 8000 years ago. Make sure to book several tours in English upon arrival. This will allow you to immerse yourself in history as much as possible. An experienced guide will tell you about all the vicissitudes suffered by Istanbul.

Historical sites - magnificent palaces, impregnable citadels, obelisks of the Roman era-are scattered throughout the city. Take a guided tour to see the most vibrant sights:

• Topkapi Palace;
• Basilica Cistern;
• Ancient Hippodrome;
• Hagia Sophia.

Amazing artifacts from Turkey and the Middle East are collected in the Museum of Archeology. You can enjoy a spectacular view of the Bosphorus from the top of the Maiden Tower.

Prayer houses

Suleymaniye Mosque - one of the most recognizable buildings in Istanbul - raises on a hilltop above the Sultanahmet district. The interior is characterized by harmonious proportions and unity of design. The 53-meter dome dominates above all this splendor. There is the Ottoman cemetery in the garden, where you can find the turbe of Sultan Suleiman and his wife Hurrem Haseki Sultan (who is known in the West as Roxolana).

A sightseeing tour will allow you to see other prayer houses:

• Fatih Mosque;
• Blue Mosque;
• Rustem Pas Mosque

Don't miss the beautifully preserved tiles Iznik in Rustem Pas that cover both the outer walls of the courtyard and the inner interiors.

City symbols

A walking tour of Istanbul will allow you to get into the spirit of the city and learn it better. An attentive tourist will certainly pay attention to the incredible number of cats. According to the guides, a cat is an almost sacred animal in Turkey.

Interesting fact: despite the obvious love to these whiskered animals, local people usually don't have them in their houses. There is a curious historical explanation for this fact. It started with the plague in the middle ages. Cats died from it just like people. Meanwhile, they very cleverly destroyed hordes of rats - the main hosts of the plague. In order to protect themselves from infection, people did not let these hunters into the house. Although the plague has been already forgotten for a long time, locals still try to keep cats at a distance.

Tulips are another symbol of the city, about which you will learn from the guide. It is believed that the homeland of these elegant flowers is the Netherlands. In fact, the true story is little different.

Wildflowers from the Turkish mountains were brought to Constantinople in the era the Ottoman Empire, where they attracted the attention of foreign diplomats. In 1554, flower bulbs were sent from Constantinople to Vienna, and then they reached Amsterdam for the first time.

Istanbul, like Amsterdam, holds the Tulip Festival annually. Usually, the celebration takes place in late April, when more than 30 million fragrant flowers bloom in city gardens.