Overview
Daytime
Afternoon
Categories
Art & culture
Services
Small group
Skip the line-Fast track
Full description
Learn all about four of Istanbul’s most history-filled landmarks; this tour takes you to the beautiful Golden Horn harbour, the great church of St Mary of Blachernae, the church of the Holy Saviour in Chora (also known as the Kariye Museum, in Turkish) and the splendorous Palace of the Porphyrogenitus (Tekfur Palace).
Your first stop is one of the most awe-inspiring sights in Istanbul. The Golden Hornis a hornlike branch of the Bosphorus River used as a natural naval harbour in the times of the Byzantine Empire. Its name comes from both its shape and the golden hue it adopts when seen from a hilltop due to the reflection of the sun. Visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the seat of Orthodox Christianity in Turkey since the time when Constantine the Great declared Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire.
Continue to St Mary of Blachernae, a magnificent church and shrine of the Mother of God famous for its holy water and sacred baths. Then see another breathtaking church, the Holy Saviour in Chora, long ago a Byzantine monastery and nowadays a very interesting museum filled with mosaics and frescoes from ages past. Also delve into the eerie Prison of Anemas, a spooky network of 14 separate dungeons.
Finally, visit the imposing 12th-century Palace of the Porphyrogenitus. It is the only surviving pavilion of the Blachernae Palace and it was erected adjacent to the city walls that surround the remains of the Byzantine acropolis; a day full of history.
Your first stop is one of the most awe-inspiring sights in Istanbul. The Golden Hornis a hornlike branch of the Bosphorus River used as a natural naval harbour in the times of the Byzantine Empire. Its name comes from both its shape and the golden hue it adopts when seen from a hilltop due to the reflection of the sun. Visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the seat of Orthodox Christianity in Turkey since the time when Constantine the Great declared Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire.
Continue to St Mary of Blachernae, a magnificent church and shrine of the Mother of God famous for its holy water and sacred baths. Then see another breathtaking church, the Holy Saviour in Chora, long ago a Byzantine monastery and nowadays a very interesting museum filled with mosaics and frescoes from ages past. Also delve into the eerie Prison of Anemas, a spooky network of 14 separate dungeons.
Finally, visit the imposing 12th-century Palace of the Porphyrogenitus. It is the only surviving pavilion of the Blachernae Palace and it was erected adjacent to the city walls that surround the remains of the Byzantine acropolis; a day full of history.
Includes
- Guide
- Tickets
- Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off available for selected hotels only.
Location
Starting point
Tamara Restaurant - Sultan Ahmet, Küçük Ayasofya Cd. No:14, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul
Küçük Ayasofya Cd.,14, 34122, İstanbul, Turkey
Pick-up available from hotels in the Aksaray, Laleli, Topkapı, Sultanahmet, Taksim areas only.
If your hotel is located out of the pick-up area, please go to the above location.
Please reconfirm the pick-up time and location with the supplier at least 24 hours prior to the confirmed tour date.
Please ensure you arrive at the pick-up location at least 15 minutes in advance.
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End point
Same as Starting Point
Itinerary
Stop (4 HOURS)
- Golden Horn
- Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
- Church of St. Mary of Blachernae
- Chora Museum
- Prison of Anemas
- Palace of the Porphyrogenitus
Redeem information
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