» Day 11 - Istanbul (B,L,D)

After breakfast,we enjoy another full day of sightseeing in Istanbul. Today we will visit  The Blue Mosque, one of the most famous of all Ottoman mosques. This mosque is renowned for its blue Iznık tiles and unique with its six minarets.  From here we visit the nearby Hippodrome, the old city's center of sporting (chariots races, athletics) events and the political activities of the time.  We walk across the square to the  Hagia Sophia, a landmark 6th century basilica built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian that ranks today as one of the world's greatest marvels of architecture. From here we visit the very nearby  Underground Cistern, the largest and the most ornate of the many underground cistern built during the Byzantine era. When constructing this cistern, the Byzantines “recycled” columns and capitals from earlier pagan temples. These materials provide this huge cistern with a surprising and unique aesthetic.  Lunch will be provided for us at a local restaurant. After lunch we will continue our tour with a visit to the Topkapi Palace. This tour will include a visit to the awe-inspiring jewelry collection. Our visit to the imperial palace of the Ottoman Sultans will include visits to the  imperial treasury, the Chinese porcelain section, calligraphy section and many more.The tour will end with the visit to the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul's traditional and massive shopping center, a complex tht ranks as the biggest souk in the world nearly 4000 shops of antiques, jewelery, and carpets.