Tour Features

Itinerary

• 1st stop

  Sultanahmet Square

  We meet our guide on Sultanahmet Square, the open space at the heart of the old city, with the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia facing each other across the gardens. We start by reading the two buildings from the outside, comparing their domes and minarets and the centuries that separate them. From here the whole route unfolds on foot, and we set the pace together.

• 2nd stop

  The Ancient Hippodrome

  We cross the Ancient Hippodrome, the long esplanade that once held the chariot races of Constantinople and the crowds that filled its stands. We talk about the teams, the factions, and the emperor watching from his box, and we trace what remains of the track and the monuments that decorated it. It is one of the places where the old capital is easiest to picture.

• 3rd stop

  Obelisk of Theodosius

  At the Obelisk of Theodosius we look at a monument that traveled from ancient Egypt to stand here in the fourth century. We follow the hieroglyphs on the granite shaft and the carved figures on its marble pedestal, where the emperor and the crowds of the hippodrome still appear. The base tells its own story of how the obelisk was raised in the middle of the track.

• 4th stop

  Blue Mosque Courtyard

  We stop in the courtyard of the Blue Mosque, among the arcades and the domes that surround the prayer hall. We look at the minarets above us and go over the simple rules that make a visit to a working mosque comfortable and respectful. We explain what happens here during the day of prayer and where visitors can walk, so nothing feels uncertain once we step inside.

• 5th stop

  Inside the Blue Mosque

  Inside, we walk into the prayer hall and look at the tiles that give the mosque its name, following the floral and geometric patterns through the arches and up to the dome. We talk about the workshops that produced them, about the carpets on the floor, and about the light that filters in from the windows. It is a quiet stop, and one of the most photographed interiors of the city.

• 6th stop

  Hagia Sophia from the Outside

  Outside Hagia Sophia we follow the history of the building through emperors, sultans, and the changes made over the centuries. We look at the domes and the buttresses, the walls that have been repaired and strengthened many times, and the minarets added after the conquest. Standing between the two monuments, the story of the old capital becomes easy to follow.

• 7th stop

  Upper Gallery of Hagia Sophia

  We reach the visitor gallery, the upper level where the mosaics are closest and the great dome opens above the hall. We look for the gold surfaces and the figures that survive from the Byzantine years, and we take our time over the view down into the nave. It is the natural place to close the tour, with the whole route behind us.

Tour Details