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Byzantine Churches of Istanbul (Full Day Tour with Lunch)
4.6
14 Ratings
Istanbul
Embark on a captivating tour of the Byzantine Churches of Constantinople, exploring ancient religious architecture and uncovering the rich history of these iconic landmarks.
Duration:
7 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Chora Museum - Greek orthodox church, originally built in the early 4th century as part of a monastery complex outside the city walls of Constantinople (Visit from outside)
- Tekfur Sarayi - 13th-century Byzantine palace in the north-western part of the old city of Constantinople (Visit from outside)
- Vlaherna Meryem Ana Church - An Eastern Orthodox church
- Church of St. Mary of the Mongols - The only remaining Byzantine church of Constantinople that has never been converted to a mosque, always remained open to the Greek Orthodox Church
- Private Fener Greek High School - The oldest surviving and most prestigious Greek Orthodox school in Istanbul
- Fethiye Muzesi (Pammakaristos Church) - The Pammakaristos Church was constructed in the early part of the 12th century
- Walls of Constantinople (Istanbul City Walls) - You will see the walls and gates of Constantinople
- Zeyrek Mosque - This mosque is made of two former Eastern Orthodox churches and a chapel
- Fener Rum Patrikhanesi - You wil see Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
- Church of St Polyeuktos - Ancient Byzantine church in Constantinople, built by the noblewoman Anicia Juliana and dedicated to Saint Polyeuctus
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- English-speaking licensed professional guide
- Lunch included
- Transportation provided
What's Not Included
- Personal expenses
- All the places in the itinerary will be visited from outside
Additional Information
We aim to witness as many churches externally as possible. Our exploration initiates with an external view of St. Saviour of Chora, initially established as a monastery complex in the 4th century, later converted into a mosque in the early 16th century, turned into a museum in 1945, and recently morphed back to a mosque. Subsequently, we proceed to Tekfur Palace, a Byzantine palace from the late 13th-century. Our next halt is at the Orthodox Eastern church, the Church of St. Mary of Blachernae. We will then behold the Church of Saint Mary of the Mongols from the 7th century. On our itinerary is the oldest surviving and prime Greek Orthodox institution in Istanbul, the Phanar Greek Orthodox College. Our stopover will include the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The tour culminates with the inspection of the Monastery of the Pantocrator, the most representative architectural specimen of the Byzantine middle period in Constantinople. The tour will finally conclude with the remnants of the Church of St. Polyeuctus, originating from the 6th century.
- All the places in the itinerary will be visited from outside.
Location
Chora Museum
Kariye Mahallesi, Kariye Camii Sokak, No: 18 EdirnekapI, Fatih
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(14 Ratings)
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George_c
May 12, 2022
Outstanding Guide - Diana was an outstanding guide. She knew her subject matter very well and was very professional. Also could explain things in context of the current situation
Review provided by Viator
Kingsongeo
Feb 6, 2020
Cultural wow! - Wow! Wow! And wow!
This is one of the best experience to have in Istanbul.
It takes an excellent guide, and be prepared with your extended distance walking shoes.
Lutfallah, the guide, skillfully navigated the city.
Superb!
Review provided by Viator
Suzanne2303
Jul 10, 2019
Wonderful tour especially incredible Chora mosaics - Our guide Lutfi picked us up from our hotel as arranged. My husband and I were the only ones on the tour which made it very special.
We started with the highlight- Chora church mosaics. If you are interested in beautiful art, the mosaics in the Chora church will blow you away. The walls and ceilings were covered in mosaics mostly of reasonable quality. Absolutely fantastic to see! Lutfi told us the story of all the mosaics and gave us plenty of time to take photos.
I was a bit disappointed that we started with the Chora mosaics as everything after would fade in comparison, but in hindsight it was better to start with this while we were fresh and unaffected by the heat. The tour comprises a lot of walking ( around 12km) and in the heat it is quite exhausting!
The rest of the tour was great in that as well as looking at Byzantine mosques and monasteries which had mostly been converted from churches, we wandered the streets where few tourists go. It gave us an insight into another side of Istanbul.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful.
Lunch was authentic Turkish fare ( but not tourist kebabs or pide as explained by Lutfi) and extremely filling!
This was a remarkable tour for us, but may not appeal to everyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cynthia_k
May 16, 2019
Terrific! - We enjoyed this tour very much. Our guide Ilker was incredibly knowledgeable. His enthusiasm and warmth made this tour particularly memorable. We enjoyed a wonderful meal with Ilker at a restaurant in the Fatih district. He could not have chosen a better itinerary or restaurant.
Review provided by Viator
Mattias
Jun 14, 2018
Marvelous! Absolutely marveIous! I... - <p>Marvelous! Absolutely marveIous! I was in luck since I was the only one having booked the tour that day. So a small-group tour turned into a private tour for me. And this tour was the highlight of my trip. After having experienced the big tourist attractions I wanted to find the hidden historical gems... and this tour did not disappoint! My tour guide was extremely friendly and he was also extremely knowledgable, and imparted the knowledge in really fun ways! I highly recommend this tour if you have visited all the big attractions Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque etc and want something a little different.</p>
<p>Oh, and the lunch included? Absolutely fantastic! Normally an included lunch is fairly standard, more filling than anything, but this lunch was at a restaurant with home cooked anatolian food.</p>
<p>One fair bit of warning for this tour though, there is much walking involved so if you are not prepared for that this tour might not be for you.</p>
Review provided by Viator
Gerchih
May 19, 2018
My tour guide Serhat is very... - <p>My tour guide Serhat is very knowledgeable and friendly.</p>
Review provided by Viator
Gigiwieringa
Jan 3, 2018
Great tour guide. We were able to... - <p>Great tour guide. We were able to see and experience the remaining gems of the old Byzantine Monasteries. Not much remains intact, but if you enjoy history and wandering through the old streets to piece together the clues, it is a fun time.</p>
Review provided by Viator
Brent
Dec 30, 2017
My day with Ilker was the best part... - <p>My day with Ilker was the best part of my trip to Istanbul. He was very knowledgeable about Christian sites and history, but also took time to explain many Muslim traditions and practices as well. Overall I could not have had a better day. Thank you!</p>
Review provided by Viator
Eugene
Aug 14, 2017
Illcare (phonetic spelling), the... - <p>Illcare (phonetic spelling), the Guide, was a very knowledgeable and friendly person who took his time to explain the background to each church, mosque or space we visited in a packed and thoroughly enjoyable itinerary. Thanks to the company "Istanbul Walks".</p>
Review provided by Viator
Robert
Sep 25, 2022
Terrible experience - We essentially toured slums. Churches were not seen even from exterior. Lunch was offered in a slum and my wife and I got sick. Will never use viator or trip advisor again
Review provided by Tripadvisor
