About this experience
Join me as we explore the old quarters of Istanbul, where you won't see a woman without a bright scarf - a religious and unique district of the city that remembers many stories from the lives of great rulers. I will show you mosques and tombs, help you to feel the symbolism of these places connected to the sultans' destinies, and notice on the streets of old Istanbul things you might easily pass by.
What to Expect
Stories of Life and Death
Our journey will start with the mosque of Yavuz Sultan Selim - the father of Suleiman, where you will also see his tomb with the robe and the stone with predictions. The robe is associated with the story of Sultan Selim's teacher, and the plots of the life and death of Sultan himself are no less captivating than any novel. During the walk, you will understand that the thesis holds true for Ottoman history: great people didn't just die for no reason. Symbolism and mystique are revealed in the fate of almost every great ruler. Another bloody secret will be revealed to you in the mosque of Fatih the Conqueror - above the tomb, you will hear a story about severed hands.
Interesting in the Most Religious District of Istanbul
You will visit the place where the architect of the great sultan, who captured Constantinople, was buried and learn how the site on the fourth hill, the city of Chalcedon, and the Asian Uskudar are connected! Along the way, you may discover dungeons with Byzantine cisterns (one of them turned into a restaurant), and also Orthodox monasteries, once rebuilt into a mosque - for example, Fethiye Mosque. Celebrations and restorations may affect the route, but I will draw your attention to every interesting detail in the old quarters of Istanbul. You will see the Roman aqueduct of Valens and learn how the curse associated with it came true, enjoy the panoramic view of the Golden Horn bay, and after relaxing on the observation deck, you will visit the lesser-known mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent's son and Hurrem Sultan - Şehzade Mehmed. Many stories and legends of this place await you!
Organizational Details
We will travel to the starting point of the tour by bus, so please make sure to have a filled-in transport card with you.
