ISLAMIC HERITAGE TOUR

6 DAY SPECIAL FULLY GUIDED ISLAMIC HERITAGE TOUR IN TURKEY. GREAT MUSLIM SIGHTSEEING TOUR THAT COVERS ISTANBUL AND BURSA ALL TOGETHER WHERE YOU WILL GET TO SEE AND VISIT MANY ISLAMIC HERITAGE DESTINATIONS THAT ARE CONSIDERED HOLY.

DAY 1 : ISTANBUL – ARRIVAL DAY
MEET AT THE AIRPORT TRANSFER TO YOUR HOTEL. YOU WILL BE GIVEN YOUR ROOM KEY AND THE REST OF THE DAY IS YOURS TO EXPLORE ISTANBUL. OVERNIGHT IN ISTANBUL.

DAY 2 : ISTANBUL ISLAMIC AND SAHABE TOUR
BREAKFAST INCLUDED
AFTER BREAKFAST AT 08.30, WE HAVE ISTANBUL ISLAMIC AND SAHABE TOUR. ISTANBUL IS THE CENTER OF RELIGION FOR CENTURIES. AFTER THE OTTOMAN PERIOD ISLAMIC RELIGION SPREADED THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE FIRST MOSQUE IN ISTANBUL WAS BUILT IN KADIKOY ON THE ASIAN SIDE OF THE CITY, WHICH WAS CONQUERED BY THE OTTOMAN TURKS IN 1353. THE FIRST MOSQUE ON THE EUROPEAN SIDE OF ISTANBUL WAS BUILT INSIDE THE RUMELI CASTLE IN 1452. THE FIRST GRAND MOSQUE WHICH WAS BUILT IN THE CITY PROPER IS THE EYUP SULTAN MOSQUE (1458). NEXT TO EYUP SULTAN MOSQUE WE WILL VISIT THE TOMBS OF THE SAHABE, WHICH IS VERY FAMOUS IN TURKEY BY BEING THE FIRST GENERATION OF MUSLIMS, WHO HAD COME AS FAR AS ISTANBUL AND BESIEGED THE CITY. THE SMALL SAHABE CEMETERY JUST OUTSIDE EGRIKAPI GATE MAY SEEM LIKE A STANDARD MUSLIM CEMETERY. THE SÜLEYMANIYE MOSQUE BECOMES MOST MEANINGFUL WHEN UNDERSTOOD IN ITS HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT. IT WAS BUILT DURING THE LATTER PART OF SÜLEYMAN’S LONG AND PROSPEROUS REIGN, WHICH STRETCHED FROM 1520 TO 1566. OVERNIGHT IN ISTANBUL.

DAY 3 : ISTANBUL – BURSA TOUR
BREAKFAST INCLUDED
AFTER BREAKFAST AT 07:30 AM,WE DEPART FROM THE HOTEL AND DRIVE TO BURSA FOR A DAILY GUIDED TOUR IN BURSA. TODAY, WE WILL VISIT BURSA WITH ALL FAMOUS AND ISLAMIC HERITAGE PLACES. WE WILL VISIT TO ULUCAMII (GREAT MOSQUE), CUMALIKIZIK VILLAGE, GREEN MOSQUE, GREEN TOMB, OZDILEK FACTORY. AFTER BURSA CITY TOUR DEPART FOR ISTANBUL BACK. OVERNIGHT IN ISTANBUL.

DAY 4 : ISTANBUL CITY TOUR
BREAKFAST INCLUDED
PICK UP AT 08:30AM FROM YOUR HOTEL FOR THE A DAY TOUR OF OLD ISTANBUL CITY.
VISIT TO ST. SOPHIA THIS ANCIENT BASILICA, BUILT BY CONSTANTINE THE GREAT IN THE 4TH CENTURY AND RECONSTRUCTED BY JUSTINIAN IN THE 6TH CENTURY, IS ONE OF THE ARCHITECTURAL MARVELS OF ALL TIME. TOPKAPI PALACE THE GREAT PALACE OF THE OTTOMAN SULTANS FROM THE 15TH TO THE 19TH CENTURIES HOUSING AN EXQUISITE COLLECTION OF CRYSTAL, SILVER, AND CHINESE PORCELAIN, ROBES WORN BY THE SULTANS AND THEIR FAMILIES, THE FAMOUS JEWELS OF THE IMPERIAL TREASURY, MINIATURES, THE HOLY MANTLE; ENSHRINING RELICS OF THE PROPHET MOHAMMED. SULTANAHMET IMPERIAL MOSQUE ACROSS FROM ST. SOPHIA BUILT IN THE 16TH CENTURY BY THE ARCHITECT MEHMET, IS KNOWN AS THE BLUE MOSQUE BECAUSE OF ITS MAGNIFICENT INTERIOR DECORATION OF BLUE IZNIK TILES. HIPPODROME ANCIENT HIPPODROME, THE SCENE OF CHARIOT RACES, WITH THE THREE MONUMENTS; THE OBELISK OF THEODOSIUS, THE BRONZE SERPENTINE COLUMN AND THE COLUMN OF CONSTANTINE. LUNCH BREAK AT 13.00 PM AND AFTER THE LUNCH MURTIS TOUR WILL TAKE YOU TO THE GRAND SPICE BAZAAR WHICH IS A UNIQUE ATMOSPHERE WITH REASONABLE PRICES FOR YOUR SHOPPING ON MANY EXOTIC SPICES AND HERBS, TURKISH BAKLAVA, TURKISH DELIGHTS, TURKISH COFFEE, NUTS AND FRUITS, SMALL SOUVENIRS SUCH AS CERAMIC HANDICRAFTS, EVIL EYES TOTEMS, ALL NATUREL OLIVE OIL, SOAPS AND MANY OTHER GOODS IN SOUVENIR SHOPS AND STORES. AFTER THE TOUR, TRANSFER BACK TO YOUR HOTEL. OVERNIGHT IN ISTANBUL.

DAY 5 : ISTANBUL BOSPHORUS CRUISE AND SHOPPING TOUR
BREAKFAST INCLUDED
AFTER BREAKFAST AT 08.30, WE DEPART FOR AN EXQUISITE  BOAT TRIP OF ISTANBUL.

BOSPHORUS ON BOAT A TRADITIONAL EXCURSION BY BOAT ALONG THE WATERWAY SEPARATING EUROPE AND ASIA. THE SHORE IS LINED WITH OLD WOODEN VILLAS, PALACES OF MARBLE, FORTRESSES, AND SMALL FISHING VILLAGES. DURING THE EXCURSION YOU WILL PASS THE MAGNIFICENT DOLMABAHCE PALACE, AND FURTHER ALONG, THE PARKS AND IMPERIAL PAVILIONS OF YILDIZ PALACE. ON THE COASTAL EDGE OF THIS PARK, IS CIRAGAN PALACE, 300 METERS OF IS MARBLE FACADE FACES THE SHORE. AT ORTAKOY A GREAT VARIETY OF ARTISTS GATHER EVERY SUNDAY TO DISPLAY THEIR WORK ALONG THE STREET. ORTAKOY IS A SYMBOL OF TOLERANCE WITH A CHURCH, A MOSQUE AND A SYNAGOGUE EXISTING SIDE BY SIDE FOR CENTURIES. RUMELI FORTRESS BUILT BY MEHMET THE CONQUEROR IN 1452 PRIOR TO THE CONQUEST OF ISTANBUL WAS COMPLETED IN ONLY FOUR MONTHS TO CONTROL AND PROTECT BOSPHORUS. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORKS OF MILITARY ARCHITECTURE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. BEYLERBEYI PALAS THE SUMMER RESIDENCE OF OTTOMAN SULTANS WHIT ITS ORIGINAL FURNITURE AND MAGNIFICENT GARDENS WITH THE HAREM ON THE ASIAN. BOSPHORUS BRIDGE UNIQUE CHANGE TO STEP FROM ONE CONTINENT (ASIA) TO ANOTHER (EUROPE)
CAMLICA HILL THE HIGHEST POINT IN ISTANBUL. AT THE TOP OF IT YOU CAN REST AND ADMIRE THE MAGNIFICENT PANORAMA OF ISTANBUL AND THE BOSPHOURS FROM THE BEAUTIFUL GARDENS, LANDSCAPED IN TRADITIONAL STYLE.
SHOPPING POSSIBILITY AT BEDESTEN. EXHIBITION THE TRADITIONAL SILK WEAVING GIRLS AT THE CARPET WEAVING COURSES AUTHORISED BY THE MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION POSSIBILITY TO SEE JEWELLERY, HANDCRAFTS CENTRE AND LEATHERWEAR SHOW. FREE TIME PROVIDED FOR SHOPPING.

DAY 6 : ISTANBUL – END OF TOUR
BREAKFAST INCLUDED
AFTER BREAKFAST, WE CHECK OUT FROM THE HOTEL. WE HOPE YOUR TOUR WAS A MEMORABLE ONE AND HAVE A SAFE TRIP BACK HOME AND THANKS FOR CHOOSING US.