Tour Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet district, starting with the Hippodrome, the sporting and social center of Byzantine life for over 1,000 years, featuring the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, Column of Constantine Porphyrogenitus, and Kaiser Wilhelm II Fountain. Visit the Basilica Cistern, or “Sunken Palace,” built in 532 AD. Explore the Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque with its iconic Iznik tiles, and stop for photos at Hagia Sophia, constructed in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian, converted to a mosque in 1453, and later made a museum by Atatürk. End at Topkapi Palace, the Ottoman Empire’s main residence and administrative center from the 15th to 19th centuries.
