Tour Duration :
4 - 4,5 hrs
Min.# of guests :
2 guests
Max.# of guests :
70 guests
Meals :
No
Refreshments :
Yes - at Bindirdirek
Cistern
Walking Level :
Difficult - There are
almost 52 steps to go
into the Underground
Cistern.
Dress Code :
Comfortable
walking shoes with
rubber sole are
reccommended. |
|
This tour is designed to show you the less familiar, though equally important Byzantine sights of Istanbul.
We’ll start with a visit to the Church of Chora, also known now as the Chora Museum. The word “chora” means “outside the city, the countryside”. Probably, a small church built here before the erection of the 5th century Roman city walls gave its name to the later churches built on the same site. The present-day edifice is dated to the llth-14th centuries. The mosaic panels in the building depict scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary. When the church was converted into a mosque, these incredible works of art were covered over and whitewashed, but have since been restored and cleaned, after 1950, by the Byzantine Institute of the USA.
From Chora, we’ll pass through the Hippodrome, which once seated 100,000 spectators for Byzantine events including gladiatorial bouts and chariot races, as well as being an important scene for some rowdy civic unrest.
It’s then a short trip to the Haghia Sophia, the 6th-century Byzantine church whose name means “Divine Wisdom”, and which has been nominated the 8th wonder of the world by many historians. The dome of the Haghia Sophia, believed to represent the infinity of the cosmos, is most impressive. To think that this dome was built in the 530s contributes even more to the importance of the mosque. Despite being damaged, the mosaics found within Haghia Sophia are among the most precious in the world. The additions of the Ottomans, far from spoiling its original beauty, have only reinforced its magnificence. The calligraphies, on plates 7.5 meters in diameter, the stone work, which gives it a lace-like appearance, and the glazed tiles are all priceless. The primary school, tombs, fountains and reservoir which make up the complex are also of major significance from an architectural standpoint.
The other stop on the tour will be to the Underground Cistern, the largest and most magnificent covered cistern in Istanbul. Today, as you marvel at the awesome size of this underground structure from long ago, classical music plays above the walkways, carp swim below, and water drips from the ceiling and onto one of the 336 massive columns supporting the roof, each over 8 meters (26 feet) high. Before proceeding to the Grand Bazaar, you will have a short refreshment stop at Binbirdirek Cistern, which houses the “Treasures of Istanbul” exhibition. “Treasures of Istanbul” exhibition opened in Philoxenos (Binbirdirek) Cistern. Currently there are 19 big posters and 7 scale models of Byzantine monuments based on Byzantium 1200 project.
The tour ends with a stop at the Grand Bazaar, a historically important bazaar and the largest covered market in the world. Tour ends at the pier or at the hotel. |
