Istanbul, Turkey. Day 2

Today, we met with James and Shelly for our whole day private tour in Istanbul. Our tour guide Oyku, met us and we walked to a light rail to go to The Hippodrome of Constantinople. It was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square in Istanbul, Turkey, known as Sultanahmet Square.
After extended exploration on what is what, we slowly walked to the Blue mosque.

Built between 1609 and 1617, it is a major tourist attraction and an iconic monument of Islamic architecture.

After spending some time there, we walked to Hagia Sophia. Well, by now the line to this place was very long. Instead we walked to
Topkapı Palace.

Topkapı Palace is a historic museum and former imperial palace in Istanbul, that served as the main residence and administrative center of the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years. Built in the 15th century, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site featuring lavish courtyards, pavilions, the famous Harem, and a rich collection of artifacts.

There is a lot of walking in this museum with lots of steps, but Boris was a trooper and managed to keep up with us. By the time we finished with the museum, we were hungry and cold. We stopped at the restaurant and had lunch and the best of all hot tea.

We left a wheelchair at the restaurant and walked to Hagia Sofia. First floor is a mosque, the second floor is a museum. It was build in year 360 and the size and architecture is extremely impressive. Till 1453 it was a church, then to 1935 it was a mosque. From 1935 to 2020 it was a museum. Then mosque again.

After Hagia Sophia, we walked to Basilica Cistern. It is a large, ancient underground water reservoir built in the 6th century during the Byzantine era under Emperor Justinian I. This massive structure, known in “Sunken Palace," was built to supply water to the Byzantine palaces and is supported by 336 marble columns, some featuring Medusa heads. Today, it is a major tourist attraction known for its historical significance, engineering marvel, and atmospheric lighting. It is so impressive, that out of all sites we seen in Istanbul it takes first prize.

We returned to the ship via light rail. All of us were exhausted after a long day. In the evening, we had dinner with two other couples.Read more