Half day morning or afternoon tour
starts: 09:00 a.m. or 01:30 p.m., finishes: 01:00 p.m. or 05:30 p.m.
Tour features:
Dolmabahce Palace (closed on Monday and Thursday), Bosphorus cruise, Ortakoy
Program:
Your private licensed tour guide will meet you at your hotel or cruise ship to begin the tour. Transportation is via modern, comfortable air-conditioned car, van or mini-bus, appropriate to the size of your group. Our first stop today is Dolmabahce Palace. This palace was the residence of the last six Ottoman Sultans. The Palace was built in the mid-19th century by order of Sultan Abdul Mecit I. It’s facade stretches for more than 1,200 feet on European shores of the Bosphorus. A vast reception salon, with 56 columns and a huge crystal chandelier, weighing four and a half tons and lit by 750 lights, never fails to astonish visitors.
After the palace visit, we will take a short drive to Ortakoy, a picturesque sea-front old city quarter located on the European side of the Bosphorus Strait. Because of its very special location, it has been favored by Istanbul residents since Ottoman times. Among historical buildings are the baroque-style Ortakoy Mosque, Esma Sultan Palace, built for an extraordinary Ottoman princess, and the remains of Etz Ahayim Synagogue. Now the lively streets of Ortakoy are dominated by various craft-work sellers, restaurants and cafes.
After a walking tour of the quarter, we will embark on a public boat for one and a half hour Bosphorus cruise. The Bosphorus is a narrow, navigable strait between Europe and Asia connecting the Black Sea (Pontus Euxinus) to the Marmara Sea (Propontis). This boat ride takes you past the late Ottoman Palaces, as well as beautiful wooden mansions and modern villas of the 19th & 20th century which form this elegant section of the city.
Note:
Upon request, the Bosphorus cruise can be done with private boat.
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