Our full-day Elite Emerald Princess tour, "Istanbul & Lunch at the Ciragan Palace", was perfect. Touring with only 12 others and a guide on a small bus is so much more personal!
Our bus dropped us at the site of the Hippodrome, once a colossal stadium for chariot races and political functions. A large Obelisk from the Temple of Karnak in Luxor marks one of the turning points in the track. We then walked to the other historical sites before the bus picked us up for lunch.
The 17th century Blue Mosque with its six minarets is one of the most recognized landmarks in Istanbul. The interior is quite open, and the walls are covered with over 20,000 blue tiles from Iznik, Turkey.
The Byzantine-style St. Sophia (Hagia Sophia) pre-dates the Blue Mosque by over 1000 years. Until the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, St. Sophia was the grandest church in Christianity. It was then a mosque from 1453 until 1935 when it became a museum. Both Christian and Muslim symbols remain inside the church.
Topkapi Palace is usually closed on Tuesdays, but Princess arranged for it to be open for those on its tours. This meant that we could visit this residence used by the Ottoman sultans for over 400 years without the crowds. Our tour of Topkapi included a visit to the ancient harems. Hearing about life in the palace was fascinating for all of us, and Topkapi was a highlight of the tour.
We had an excellent buffet lunch at the 19th century Ciragan Palace, which is located on the Bosphorus and is one of the best hotels in Istanbul. Our tour ended with free time at Istanbul's famous bazaar, the largest covered market in the world and home of over 4000 shops. It was a great day in Istanbul!
