| The fabled capital of three great empires - Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman, Istanbul is steeped in almost 3,000 years of history. The greatest concentration of landmarks is found in Istanbul's oldest district, Sultanahmet, an awe-inspiring expanse of leafy parks, Byzantine cathedrals, Roman remains, bustling bazaars and imposing mosques with towering, slender minarets.
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|  | |  | | Istanbul is an ideal base to start a voyage around Turkey. Below are some popular itineraries:
Grand Tour of Turkey 8-day Tour of Turkey
Cappadocia, Mt.Nemrut and Urfa 11-day Tour of Turkey
All our guided Turkey tours are completely customisable - take a look at our most popular travel programmes, you can modify these itineraries according to your budget, interests and time frame. Our professional travel consultants at Akresa Travel will be happy to advise you, or create your itinerary and build the perfect luxury holiday to suit all your travel requirements. | |
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|  Hagia Sophia: The Church of the Holy Wisdom, known as Hagia Sophia in Greek, and Ayasofya or Aya Sofya in Turkish, is a former Byzantine church and former Ottoman mosque in Istanbul. Now a museum, Hagia Sophia is universally acknowledged as the supreme masterpiece of Byzantine architecture.
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| |  Topkapi Palace served as the residence of the sultan and administrative seat of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years. The Museum boasts an exquisite collection of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain, as well as the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury and the Prophet Muhammed's cloak and sword. |
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| | | | | We take care of your travel arrangements from hotel bookings to sightseeing, tour guides, route planning, domestic flights and all the other important details to make your trip enjoyable and stress-free.
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|  The Sultanahmet Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque, is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world and one of very few to have six minarets. Inside, the high ceiling is lined with the 20,000 blue tiles that give the mosque its commonly-used name. Fine examples of 16th-century Iznik design, the overall effect is one of the most beautiful sights in Istanbul. |
| |  The site of the original Hippodrome dates back to 196. Constantine the Great turned it into a vast stadium capable of seating 100,000 spectators who watched horse and chariot races, gladiatorial combats, and other spectacles. Nearby are the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column from Delphi, the Column of Constantine and the fountain of Wilhelm II. |
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| | | | | From Istanbul City Tours to Grand Turkey Tours, at Akresa Travel all our tours are flexible and adapted to your requests.
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|  Also known as the “Sunken Palace”, The Basilica Cistern, was built as a water reservoir to provide water to the Palace and nearby buildings during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. With a capacity of 900,000 m3 water and covering nearly 1,000 m2 it is the best preserved Byzantine cistern in the world. |
| |  Dolmabahce Palace was built by order of Sultan Abdülmecit in 1853. This famous palace was the last residence of the Ottoman Sultans. The ballroom is the largest of its kind in the world. A 4.5 ton colossal crystal chandelier hangs from the 36m high dome. |
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| | | | | These are just some of the sights of Istanbul, let us show you round other monuments and artifacts of the Byzantine and Ottoman eras.
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|  A leisurely cruise on the famous Bosphorus is the ideal way to see Istanbul, taking you past Ottoman palaces, wooden 19th century waterfront mansions, modern pleasure palaces and fortresses. The perfect opportunity for taking photographs along both shores of this fabled waterway. |
| |  Grand Covered Bazaar: In this labyrinth of streets and passages are over 4,000 shops with each trade having its own area: the goldsmiths' street, the carpet sellers, Turkish arts and crafts, such as handpainted ceramic plates, hand-honed copperware, brassware and trays, water ewers and onyx-ware. |
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