Adventure in Istanbul (departures all year around)

Istanbul is Constantinople

Program

5 days and 4 nights with full room and board (three meals per day, from dinner on the first day to lunch on the last day) in 4* hotels.  Discover in complete serenity majestic Istanbul.

From the small Greek colony of Megara to the fairy tale metropolis that it is today, there are three names for such a fabulous destiny which have encountered all civilisations and religions.  Greek Byzantium, in 193 when it joined the Roman Empire of Septimius Severus, then in 330, Christian Constantinople, the «New Rome» of the Eastern Roman Empire, and finally, Stamboul, capital of the Ottoman Empire conquered by Mehmet II in 1453.

It was only in 1923 that Atatürk chose Ankara as the capital of modern Turkey, not that it changed much since the city continued with its tremendous expansion, not only as the economic heart of the country but also as one of the most beautiful metropolises in the world.

Istanbul remains an uncontested inspiration and personifies the eternal heroine in the imagination of poets and musicians the world over.

Optional: extend your trip with a stay in Antalya.

100% customisable programmes.

THREE REASONS FOR CHOOSING AFEL TRAVEL

1. IRREPROACHABLE QUALITY

• Enjoy full board throughout your stay: tour price includes catering from dinner on the first day to lunch on the last day.
• Reap the benefits of small group travel: 18 participants maximum.
• Be accompanied by an experienced bilingual and knowledgeable tour guide. Individual audio-phones for all guided tours will also be provided.
• Delight in the high standards and comfort of the 4* hotel we have chosen for you.
• Participate in food and wine tastings of local products.

2. ABSOLUTE COMFORT

• Travelling is now part of everyone’s life and for whatever reason can bring exoticism, discovery or conviviality.
• Discover Istanbul while having fun and relaxing. This tour is designed to give you just the right amount of time to explore the city.
• Airlines : Turkish Airlines, Onur Air, Pegasus Airlines, Sun Express.
• Comfortable, spacious and air-conditioned coaches equipped with Wi-Fi.
• Excellent roadway infrastructure, guaranteeing comfortable travel.

3. UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS

Istanbul, Stanpolis from the Greek expression (stên Pólê, pronounced stimboli) means « towards the city ».  Its fate was sealed by its strategic location and natural beauty.  Built on seven hills between Europe and Asia, Istanbul is the only city in the world to be built on two continents.

The Bosphorus, whose rich waters from the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara merge to flow all the way from the Golden Horn into the very heart of the city.  One of the highlights of the trip is a boat ride on the Bosphorus.

Itinerary

DAY 1 : Flight to Istanbul

Meeting point at your departure airport. Assistance with check-in and boarding of your flight to Istanbul.   Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your guide, then transfer to your 4* hotel.  Depending on your flight arrival time, panoramic visit of the town.  Welcome cocktail before heading to your room.

Accommodation and dinner at the Fer Hotel 4*  or similar hotel.

The Orient-Express, a legendary train which still connects Western Europe to the East.  Visit Istanbul with a touch of nostalgia and dream and marvel whilst following in the footsteps of the first passengers of the Orient-Express.

DAY 2 : Purple and gold

Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Discover at a slow pace, the most beautiful monuments of the old town.

Istanbul, formerly called Byzantium, then Constantinople, became Nova Roma and was the last capital of the Ottoman Empire.

It is here that both Europe and Asia can recall the Roman, Greek and Ottoman Empires, the only city in the world built on two continents.

The Hippodrome, designed in the year 203 on the model of Rome’s Circus Maximus, held sporting, political and cultural activities during the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods.  In its centre stand the Theodosius obelisk, a 19 metre quadrangular block of pink granite taken from Karnak in Egypt, the serpentine column brought back from Delphi and finally the walled obelisk, 32 metres high, covered with gilded bronze plaques; this curious and controversial expedition was represented by the Fourth Crusade in 1204.

This hippodrome was the scene of the cruel fights between the Blues, representing the aristocratic party and the Greens, representing the plebs.  Their rivalry had become political and in 532, during the revolt of Nika, in a moment of weakness, the Emperor Justinian I thought of fleeing.  Regaining courage by remembering the famous words of his wife, the Empress Theodora « The purple is a beautiful shroud », he called on General Bélisaire’s troops who restored order resulting in 50,000 dead.

All symbolic places in the city were burnt down, including the Megálē Ekklēsíā (the Great Church).

Beauty is born most of the time through suffering: it was barely a month after the bloodbath caused by the revolt of Nika, that Justinian I launched the construction of the Basilica of Hagia Sophia on the very site of the Megálē Ekklēsíā.

Hagia Sophia, an absolute masterpiece is sacred in its very name, since « Sophia » in Latin and Greek means «wisdom».  This basilica is a supreme example of Byzantine architecture and an eminent witness to such a great past.   For centuries, the world’s most famous monument was considered the pride of Eastern Christianity.

Here is a testimony from that time of the incredible beauty of its interior decoration:

Because gold was not of such great value, it was decided that an amalgam of gold, silver, pearls and crushed precious stones, inlays of cameos and gems be used for the altar.  A tower-shaped tabernacle, the Ciborium, was built with a solid gold roof resting on columns of gold and silver inlaid with pearls and diamonds.  It was adorned with lilies in between which were balls with solid gold crosses, weighing 75 pounds and also adorned with precious stones.»

After five years of work, this masterpiece was inaugurated on Christmas eve in 537 by Emperor Justinian I, who arrived in his carriage drawn by four horses.

In 1453, Mehmet II conquered Constantinople and Hagia Sophia was transformed into a mosque.

In 1934, Atatürk decided, as «founding father» of the new secular Republic of Turkey, to make it into a museum open to all.

Emblematic of the destiny of a capital city at the crossroads of two empires, that of the declining Eastern Roman Empire and the ascending Ottoman Empire, the two faces of Hagia Sophia are deeply engraved in the unique profile of Istanbul today.

You will then cross the lively esplanade and continue your visit with the Sultan-Ahmet Mosque, called the Blue Mosque by the orientalists.  Eleven centuries later, as if to challenge Hagia Sophia, this majestical mosque was built.  An elegant rival, with its cascading domes and six minarets pointing towards the sky, built during the reign of Sultan Ahmet I between 1609 and 1616, it owes its name to the 21,000 Iznik tiles which ornate its walls.  These sumptuous enamelled tiles under the rays of light cast a bluish glow throughout the hypostyle hall.

It is a true fairy tale palace and an architectural masterpiece with its lace-like stone, Egyptian granite columns and sculpted bronze doors.  It was the fruit and the inspiration of a young sultan, both artist and poet, and was built to illustrate its name in a time of war with Emperor Rudolf II of Habsburg.   In 1617, Ahmet died of typhus at the age of 27, only a year after the inauguration of his mosque.

Refreshments will be served in the mosque gardens before going on to visit Topkapi Palace.

Topkapi Palace,  the palace of a thousand and one wonders. In this 700,000 m2 residence, twenty-six sultans succeeded one another over four centuries.  It was built on the ancient acropolis of Byzantium in about 1460 and was not only a political, artistic and scientific centre but also a religious one.  The Sublime Porte, the heart of this power, has been closed to outsiders for a long time.  From the end of the 17th century, Topkapi Palace gradually lost its importance due to the sultans’ preference for the new Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus.  In 1856, Sultan Abdulmejid I moved his court there, the first European-style palace in the capital.  Nonetheless, Topkapi retained some of its functions, including the imperial treasury, library and mint.

Topkapi, Istanbul’s serail, remains very famous and reveals all the refinement and sense of detail of the Ottoman civilisation.  The richness of this civilisation with its abundance of precious stones, gilding, ornamentation, sumptuous decors and the expert craftsmanship continue to amaze visitors.  You will also admire ceramics, jewellery, silverware, ceremonial cloths, ceremonial furniture, miniatures, weapons and mosaics… not to mention its jewel: the fascinating apartments of the harem.

Onwards to the Basilica Cistern, an ancient water reservoir and superb Roman hydraulic masterpiece of engineering.

At the end of the day, visit of the Grand Bazaar (15th century). With its 60 alleys and 4,000 stalls and shops spanning over 30 hectares, it is still the largest indoor market in the world today.

Hagia Sophie (10th century), on a gold background, representing the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus.  To their left, Justinian I holds the model of Hagia Sophia in his hands.  To the right, Emperor Constantine I offers them the model of the city.

DAY 3 : From baroque palaces to the Asian shoreside

Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Your morning will start with the Egyptian Market, also called the Spice Bazaar.  It was built in 1663 in the form of a caravanserai within the grounds of the New Mosque.  The rent from the stalls went to finance the maintenance of the mosque and the soup kitchens for the poor.

Visit of the Rüstem Pasha Mosque, famous for its walls decorated with blue tiles from Iznik.

Lunch in a fish restaurant on the banks of the Bosphorus.

After the meal, take a boat trip on the Bosphorus and discover this 33 km long strait running between Europe and Asia, which connects the Marmara Sea to the Black Sea, the narrowest point being between the Rumeli and the Anadolu Hisar Fortresses.

The boat will take you past baroque palaces and the « yali », these beautiful wooden houses on the banks of the Bosphorus, which under the Ottoman Empire, were the summer residences of wealthy Istanbulites seeking cooler temperatures during their holidays.

Then on to the Asian shore to take a stroll in the typical district of Üsküdar, located on the eastern shore of the Bosphorus, facing the tiny rocky island with Leander’s Tower.

It was predicted, to a sultan, according to the Turks, and to a Byzantium emperor, according to the Greeks, that his favourite young daughter would perish from a snake bite.  To prevent this disastrous event, he ordered that a tower be built on a small rock in the middle of the Bosphorus current.  It was there that he brought up his beloved daughter and thus protect her from the fate that threatened her destiny.  The tower, almost covering the rock and on which only a few sea grasses grew due to its dryness, could not harbour any reptile.  When the young sultana was fifteen, a basket of delicious fruit was brought to her; but amidst Pomona’s gifts was an asp and the princess died like Cleopatra.  The end of this story fits well with the philosophical ideas of the Turks : « Who can escape the judgment of fate ? ».  Since that day, the tower bears the name of the princess.

You will also see the small and modest Şemsi Pasha Mosque on the edge of the Bosphorus from where there is a magnificent view of old Stamboul.

Ideally located in the strait, surrounded by ponds and gardens you will visit the marbled Beylerbeyi palace with its baroque and rococo style, a rarity in the East.

Discover Kadiköy, the bustling district of the Asian side, nowadays much appreciated not only for its well-stocked market, its musical and artistic culture, its antique shops but also for its open-mindedness and wonderful quality of life.

Stop-off for a refreshment in Kadiköy.

Return to your hotel.

Set in the midst of gardens, the marbled Beylerbeyi Palace, was built in 1865 to accommodate distinguished guests such as Empress Eugenie.  This palace is one of the most remarkable monuments of baroque and rococo art in Turkey, blending Western influences with Orientalism.

DAY 4 : Caravaners and craftsmen

Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Either opt for a free day and discover the city on your own.  Or, should you wish, we can organise a «tailor-made» programme; you can decide how you would like to spend the day with the advice of your guide who will be at hand to accompany you for the entire day.

Turkey has a long and famous history in traditional arts and crafts and reflects an aesthetic approach to which the Turks aspire and which is appreciated all over the world.

You will discover a city well known for its craftsman’s skills: precious stones, jewellery, carpets, leather, silk, embroidery, porcelain, ceramics, pottery…  Strolling the streets, you will undoubtedly be tempted to bring back small souvenirs: costume jewellery, little paintings and engravings of Istanbul, marbled paper, traditional musical instruments, olive oil soap.. and to satisfy your palate, flavours of baklava, Turkish delight, sweets, spices, teas and coffees…

Istanbul offers you everything on a silver platter, it’s Byzantium!

The Taşhan Caravanserai on the Silk Road was a stopping place for merchants to rest and enjoy themselves.

DAY 5 : Return flight home

Breakfast and transfer to Istanbul airport, according to your flight schedule.

Assistance with check-in and departure to your destination.

We hope to welcome you to Turkey again so you can discover other treasures of this magnificent country!

The tulip, symbol of the Ottoman Empire and nowadays Turkey.  The colours of Iznik ceramics are cobalt blue and pure white.  But THE colour that revolutionizes the art of ceramics and which has made Iznik famous, is tomato red.

The price includes

✈ International round trip flights.

o Meeting upon your arrival.

o Transfers airport/hotel/airport.

o Assistance from your experienced bilingual guide during the tour.

o Double room accommodation in the assigned hotels or ones of similar standing, hotel luggage porters.

o Full board from dinner on the first day to lunch on the last day.

o Transportation in comfortable vehicles adapted to the size of the group, a window per person.

o Visits and entrance fees to sites and museums mentioned in the programme.

24/7 assistance from our agency.

The price does not include

X Single room supplements.

X Drinks and personal expenses, tips for the guide and the driver.

X No insurance is included (Afel Travel recommends you purchase travel insurance).