Overview
The radical transformations this city has undergone are vividly expressed by its changes of name: Byzantium, Constantinople and Istanbul. The capital successively of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, and now modern Turkey’s booming metropolis, it is one of the most beautiful and fascinating cities in the world. But it is also a place of strange and sometimes subdued moods, a place that was eclipsed for much of the 20th century.
Initially a modest Greek city, it was chosen by Constantine as the site of the new capital
of the Roman Empire and inaugurated in ad 330. The Byzantine Empire continued in direct succession to the Roman, and its capital became one of the largest cities in medieval Europe, the guardian of classical culture and a bastion of Orthodox Christianity.
The city walls were the strongest in the western world, and while the Byzantine Empire gradually shrank before the onslaughts of Persians, Arabs and Latin crusaders, it was not finally extinguished until 1453 when Ottoman Turks captured the city.
In the century and a half after the Ottoman conquest, the city steadily acquired some of the finest Islamic architecture in the world, aided by the example of Hagia Sophia, the architect Sinan and the brilliant tile factories at Iznik.
Minarets and mosques now dominate the skyline, but churches, temples, palaces and other pre-Ottoman buildings, whole or fragmentary, and the arts which decorated them, are to be found in abundance. Istanbul has evolved into a melting-pot of cultures, with a lively streetlife and colourful bazaars. The city’s international outlook is epitomised by its division between Europe and Asia, now linked by modern bridges crossing the mighty Bosphorus, and a new underwater railway tunnel.
Day 1
Fly at c.11.30am (Turkish Airlines) from London Heathrow to Istanbul. Arrive early evening and drive to the historic quarter of Sultanahmet for the first of seven nights.
Day 2
A short stroll around 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 onByzantine monuments including the sixth-century Hagia Sophia, the mother church of Orthodox Christianity. The Byzantine Great Palace is largely lost, but at the Mosaic Museum, a vast expanse of its Roman mosaic pavement can be seen, rich in marvellous domestic detail.
Day 3
The Topkapı Palace was the Sultan’s residence and the political heart of the Ottoman Empire. Explore the palace kitchens, courtyards, gardens, pavilions and famous harem, as well as the contents of the Imperial Treasury, with its collection of sacred Islamic relics. 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.
Day 4
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. Walk along parts of the Byzantine city walls arriving in the vicinity of the Kariye Museum (church of St Saviour in Chora). A thorough exploration of this stunning church allows time to absorb the finest assemblage of Byzantine mosaics and frescoes to survive anywhere.
Day 5
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, and in the afternoon by boat to the Naval Museum with its impressive collection of imperial caiques.
Day 6
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.
Day 7
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.
Day 8
Fly from Istanbul, arriving Heathrow c. 5.00pm.
Price, per person
Two sharing: £3,520 or £3,220 without flights. Single occupancy: £3,950 or £3,650 without flights.
Included
Air travel (economy class) with Turkish Airlines (Boeing 777-300 and Airbus A330-300); travel by private coach and boat; accommodation as below; breakfasts, 2 lunches and 5 dinners with wine, water, coffee; all admissions; all tips; all taxes; the services of the lecturer, tour manager and a Turkish guide.
Visas
Required for most foreign nationals, and not included in the tour price. You will need to apply online in advance. Further information will be provided in the Essential Tour Information document.
Accommodation
Hotel Sultanhan. A traditionally furnished 4-star located in the central district of Old Istanbul. Single rooms are doubles for sole use.
How strenuous?
You will be on your feet a lot, there is a considerable amount of walking and standing around, and Istanbul is quite hilly. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties or difficulties negotiating stairs. Congestion can mean long delays for taxi rides. Average distance by coach per day: 9 miles.
Are you fit enough to join the tour?
Group size
Between 10 and 22 participants.
Travel advice
Before booking, please refer to the FCDO website to ensure you are happy with the travel advice for the destination(s) you are visiting.
'Our lecturer was excellent – very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and an effective, entertaining commentator. We learned a lot of art history and political history from her.'
'Excellent: a fine, utterly engaging blend of Muslim and Christian.'
'A wonderfully comprehensive itinerary covering all of the major sites plus a representative range of mosques and several of the more minor Byzantine churches.'