Capital of Two Empires

The Ottomans and Byzantines ruled this city for centuries, and testament to these great empires stand the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, opposite each other in Sultanahmet Square. You’ll visit these two impressive landmarks of Istanbul as well as the Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. Start with a visit to one of the most recognized landmarks in the world, the Mosque of Sultan Ahmet, better known as the Blue Mosque because of the over 21,000 blue-green Iznik tiles used for its interior decoration. The six minarets and the layout of the domes and semi-domes create a unique exterior. From here, continue to the Hippodrome, to see the remains of what was once the scene for political struggles and uprisings in the capital city of the Byzantine Empire. Visit the St. Sophia Museum, also known as Hagia Sophia, and a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. It served as a church for hundreds of years during the Byzantine Empire and was converted to a Mosque when the city was conquered by the Ottomans in 1453. Here, you’ll find evidence of both. Continue to the great Byzantine Basilica Cistern, located across from Hagia Sophia. You might think that having so many breathtaking sites to visit above ground leaves no need to go under. But you’ll soon discover why this visit is worth every minute. Next stop is the Grand Bazaar. The Bazaar is composed of two sections; the covered part and the modern part. The covered part is surrounded by a wall which can be entered through several gates. The maze of lanes are one of the greatest sights in the city, where various trades such as carpets, jewelry, leather goods, silver, souvenirs, textiles and antiques are segregated into particular sections of the bazaar. You’ll have a short time to experience the exotic atmosphere of the covered part. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit the open and modern section of the Grand Bazaar which offers the best artworks and most reliable shopping. During your time around the Grand Bazaar, you’ll attend a presentation on the unique art of Turkish carpets with additional time to shop at the handicraft store while enjoying complimentary refreshments. You’ll also have free time for lunch during the tour and you’ll find many choices around the area (at your own expense). Note: Tour is not available for the Norwegian Spirit August 3rd, 2013 sailing, or for day one of the Norwegian Jade winter sailings. Expect differences in tour durations due to traffic conditions. Participants are required to remove their shoes in order to enter the mosque and are provided with an environmentally friendly bag to store them. As this tour visits a place of worship, please dress respectfully: no bare shoulders or exposed knees. Should the Blue Mosque be closed to visitors due to religious festivities, you’ll visit another historical mosque. On Sundays, the Grand Bazaar closes and only the shops of the outer bazaar remain open, therefore the visit to the Grand Bazaar may be replaced with the Spice Bazaar. The "Gallery" section of St. Sophia and "Harem" section of Topkapı Palace are not included, however may be visited during free time. There is approximately 1 1/2 miles of walking over uneven surfaces and some inclines and steps on this tour. This tour will be subject to national and religious festive days due to the closure of the sites and venues during the month of Ramadan from July 9th, 2013 through August 7th, 2013, including the Festival Period of Ramadan from August 8th, 2013 to August 10th, 2013.