Free cancellation with conditions
Discover the best of the Ottoman Empire with a visit to Topkapi Palace, St Irene's Church and the Mausoleums of the Sultans in Istanbul!
You will visit Topkapi Palace, once the main and official residence of the Ottoman sultan. Topkapi Palace is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will discover the major rooms of the palace, such as the Imperial Gate and the Audience Hall, where the sultan sat on a canopied throne and personally received viziers and ambassadors.
You will continue your visit in the Divan Hall, where the ministers of state used to meet, before discovering the period kitchens, the royal stables and the justice tower. Your tour ends in the Imperial Treasure Room, where the palace's weapons and armour are on display. Throughout the tour, your guide will tell you about the role played by Topkapi Palace in Turkish history.
You will then be taken to the Church of Saint Irene, located in the courtyard of the Topkapi Palace. It was Constantinople's first cathedral, even before Saint Sophia, and one of the few not to have been converted into a mosque after the fall of Constantinople. You will visit it, accompanied by your guide.
You will finish your tour with a visit to the Mausoleums of the Sultans in the garden of Hagia Sophia. The mausoleums are self-guided; your guide will not accompany you in Hagia Sophia.
