Istanbul Revealed - Byzantine and Ottoman metropolis

Fly at c. 11.30am (Turkish Airlines) from London Heathrow to Istanbul. Our hotel is in the historic quarter of Sultanahmet. Arrive in time for dinner, and the first of seven nights.

Begin with a lecture followed by a walk to the magnificent Yerebatan Cistern, recently re-opened after extensive restoration. Continue to the Hippodrome, originally constructed c. ad 200 by Septimius Severus and completely rebuilt on a larger scale by Constantine. Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Camii was designed by the great imperial architect Sinan and completed in the 1570s. The remainder of the day concentrates on Byzantine monuments including the sixth-century Hagia Sophia, the mother church of Orthodox Christianity. 

The Topkapı Palace was the Sultan’s residence and the political heart of the Ottoman Empire. Explore the courtyards, gardens, pavilions and famous harem, as well as the contents of the Imperial Treasury, with its collection of sacred Islamic relics (restoration work is a constant here). Also in the palace grounds, Hagia Eirene, Church of the Divine Peace. After lunch we take in the magnificent Sülemaniye Camii, the great masterpiece of Sinan. A detour through the Covered Bazaar, trading hub of the Ottomans, takes us to Sinan’s exquisite Rüstem Pasha Camii, clad in the finest 16th-century Iznik tilework.  

Travel by private boat along the Bosphorus, the historic and beautiful strait that divides Europe from Asia. Enjoy superb views of Istanbul and the villas and castles of its suburbs. We visit the Sadberk Hanim Museum, a private mansion museum with artefacts from across the span of Anatolian civilisation. By boat to the Naval Museum with its impressive collection of imperial caiques. 

In the morning take the ferry up the Golden Horn to Eyup, among the holiest places in Islam and the shrine of the Prophet’s standard bearer. The fascinating Zeyrek Mosque is a converted monastery church; and after Haghia Sophia the most impressive Byzantine complex in existence. End at the Grand Bazaar; vast, colourful, chaotic.

Explore Pera, the district traditionally occupied by Istanbul’s Christian and Jewish communities. After a visit to the Pera Museum we walk sections of Istiklal, the city’s great thoroughfare, before descending through the Galata district to the waterfront where we take a ferry to Kadikoy on the Asian side. Stop for lunch on Guneslibahce Sokak (Sunny Garden Street) before spending the afternoon discovering this celebrated foodie district.

The recently renovated Archaeological Museum presents an outstanding collection of ancient art and artefacts, Hellenistic and Roman sculpture. The collections deserve time both for guided and independent study. The afternoon is free.  

Fly from Istanbul at midday, arriving Heathrow c. 2.15pm.