The former Constantinople, a cultural and religious melting pot, was a gigantic city, from Hagia Sophia to the city walls is as much as 5 kilometres in a straight line! And all this already existed in ancient times! Today’s Istanbul is still one of the largest cities in the world, with an official population of 16 million people. Despite this, most tourists do not visit anything but the strict city centre in Sultanahmet and the Grand Bazaar. They leave Istanbul now knowing much about modern Turkey, its people and their culture. This is a big mistake and our tour aim is to change that! Join us then to delve into places most tourists don’t visit and get an insight to the life of modern Istanbul!
Colourful, noisy, full of flavours and smells, the Grand Bazaar is a remarkable place on a global scale and has been a temple of commerce for centuries long. But just behind it, spreads another temple – the temple of science – the oldest Turkish university. This will be our first point of interest. We will talk about the Turkish education system, regular life in Turkey and Turkish (in)religiosity. We will then visit a true pearl of Ottoman architecture – the Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent. This grand building is definitely something you can’t miss while visiting Istanbul. Crownin one of the city’s seven hills, despite being a huge construction, it impresses everyone with its delicate beauty.
From the mosque we will walk through the narrow streets, winding streets of Istanbul and finally get to an authentic bazaar, used only by the locals. A place where you buy not souvenirs and scarves, but tools, food, toys, electronics… The list is long! We’ll conclude our tour with a true spectacle for the eyes – at the Eminönü Square, by the waters of the Golden Horn, overlooking the majestic Galata Tower across the bay.
Join our Alternative Istanbul tour for splendid views, great stories and joint discovering the true face of this remarkable city!
During this 2 hour 45 minute tour you will see and discover:
- Istanbul Universitesi
- Beyazit Square
- Corlulu Ali Pasa Madrasah
- the Old Book Bazaar Sahaflar Çarşısı
- Süleymaniye Mosque
- Rustem Pasha Mosque
- Spice Bazaar
- Galata Bridge
- Eminönü
- Markets of Tahtakale and Mahmutpasa
- … and much, much more!
Haven’t done a tour of the main part of the old town with us yet? Join the Old Istanbul Tour, you won’t regret it!
