Istanbul Holidays

Istanbul, it is where art, nature, god and humans al harmonize together to create this marvelous city. It is a place that must be visited. This is how Lamartine, the French author defined Istanbul, the city that he was fond of and where a hotel holding his name was founded.

When a guest first visits Istanbul to enjoy Istanbul holidays, the city of peace, he finds himself in a totally distinctive world filled with history. It is a marvelous destination where the authenticity of the past mingles with the dreams and ambitions of the future. Istanbul holidays were where various cultures and civilizations have blended through different periods of time constituting a unique magical open air museum.

A large number of guests with different inspirations visit Istanbul holidays every year. The city offers variety of historical markets, mosques, churches, museums, magnificent natural scenes, and endless temptations.
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the most vital. It is also one of the most distinctive regions in the world due to its unique geographical location as it is the only city in the world which borders stretch over two continents; Europe and Asia.

Istanbul is considered to be one of the largest and most important cities in the world due to its strategical geographical location which is the most essential reason why Istanbul has developed and progressed through time. 

The history of Istanbul

Istanbul was originally founded by the Greeks who named it Byzantium in 667 BC. However, after the city entered into an alliance against Emperor Septimus Los, the city was largely destroyed in 196 BC. Nevertheless, Istanbul was quickly rebuilt again and regained its significant importance.

The special geographical strategic location of Istanbul has attracted the attention of Constantine the Great in 324 BC to rename it as the new Rome. This event took place after he received a vision from god advising him to make the city the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.


Unfortunately, this name never gained popularity among the Romans and the city's name was transformed into Constantinople and after the decline of the of the Western Roman Empire the city became the center of what was historically called the Byzantine Empire.

The strategic location of Constantinople made Istanbul play a vital political, cultural, and commercial role as a center between Asia, Europe, and the Northern Africa. The city remained as the capital and the center of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire until the Forth Crusade took control of the city in 1204. However, the crusaders quickly lost control of the city in 1261.

The Moslem Ottomans besieged Constantinople for around 7 weeks under the leadership of Mohamed II, who was later called Mohamed the conqueror when he was able to enter the city in the 27th of May 1453. Since that date, the name of the city was transformed into Istanbul and became the capital of the Ottoman Empire, the recent name of the city which was derived from Stanbul a Greek word meaning the city.

The Ottoman Empire remained in control of Istanbul and many other regions in the world for around five hundred years until the declaration of the Turkish republic in 1923. In the same year, the capital of the new Republic of Turkey was transferred to Ankara. Istanbul, as a result has witnessed a period of decline when many Romans left the city and immigrated to Greece. This is besides the large number of Armenians and Jewish who deserted the city.

In 1960, Adnan Menderes, the first elected Turkish Prime minster in history, ordered his men to construct wide streets in the city and this resulted in the destruction of many historical buildings and structures and distorted the beautiful views of the old city. Moreover, many factories were established around the city.
Although Ankara has become the capital of Turkey, Istanbul has always remained the most important commercial capital of Turkey. 

The geographical location of Istanbul

Istanbul is located to the Northern West of Turkey near the borders of Greece between longitude 48 in the north and latitude 28 in the east.

The city oversees the Black Sea to the North, the Marmara Sea to the South, with Bosporus strait dividing the city.

Istanbul is generally divided into three sections: the first is the historical peninsula located in the European bank of the city, the second section is the modern city located in the golden horn, the Northern section of the European bank of the city, while the third section is located in the Asian bank of the city.

The European section of Istanbul is featured with many malls and large commercial shops, while the Asian section of the city is featured with many houses and a large number of residential buildings.
The surface area of Istanbul is around 7500 square kilometers with a length of 150 meters and it is approximately 50 kilometers wide with a population that exceeds 15 million inhabitants. 

The inhabitants of Istanbul 

The number of people who annually come from the countryside to live in Istanbul is estimated to be around 500 thousand people. In other words, the population of Istanbul increases by a rate that is around half a million residences per year.

1000 new streets and lanes are added to Istanbul every year and the number of houses and residential buildings are increasing all over the city.

More than three million guests visit Istanbul every year. This large number of tourists chooses Istanbul in stead of many other cities in Europe because of its cultural diversity and the large variety of highlights to be visited and activities to be done in the city.

Istanbul is considered to be the meeting point of religions, Christianity and Islam, and important historical transit point between Asia and Europe which are all harmonize and melt together in Istanbul.

Most of the inhabitants of Istanbul are Turkish Moslems but there are also many communities of minorities who live in the city like Jews and Christians who all live in harmony since ancient times. 

Touristic attractions in Istanbul

A lot of visitors find many similarities between Istanbul holidays and Rome, as Istanbul was once the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. However, Istanbul will always have a special position between different European cities because of the Bosporus, the Golden Horn, and its many fascinating islands.

Istanbul holidays hosts more than 1000 mosques, 25 Byzantine churches, and a large number of remarkable museums. The city also hosts the one of the largest cathedrals in the world; the Orthodox Cathedral of Hagia Sofia built in the sixth century AD by Justinian I, or Justinian the Great, one of the most successful Byzantine Emperors. Hagia Sofia was transformed into a mosque in 1453 AD and afterwards starting 1935 it was changed to become a museum.

Istanbul has the honor as well to have the most remarkable historical mosques in Turkey like the mosque of Sultan Ahmed, or the blue mosque as its inner ornaments is rich with blue ceramics and it is the only mosque in Istanbul that has six minarets.

Another interesting highlight located in Istanbul is the Topkapi Palace which is now a museum that once served as the residence of the Turkish kings and queens.

Istanbul was the cultural center of the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years. The city now has the most important university of Turkey and there are around 15 large libraries situated all around the city, many theatres, an opera house, and many various art exhibitions. 

Transportation in Istanbul

Istanbul hosts the most important port in Turkey where cargo ships land on the Eastern and Western beaches of the city. There is also an important rout linking between Europe and Asia that passes through Istanbul making the city an important transit point.

The railway services are well established and developed in Istanbul as there is railway line that goes from Istanbul to many European cities with Paris at the end. This is besides the line going from Istanbul to other cities in Asia like Syria and Iraq.

The most convenient mean of transportation inside Istanbul is the metro as it is fast, secure, and prompt. If you are going to anywhere near downtown in Istanbul, don't miss the chance to take the metro.

There is the metrobus, a Turkish invention that consists of a bus that moves without stopping at any traffic jams or traffic signals which proved to be a fine mean of transportation as well.

Shopping is among the best activities to be done in Istanbul as the Turkish industry has developed in many fields especially skill textiles with its marvelous colors and oriental designs. Carpets and handmade crafts, jewelry, pearls, gold, pottery, and porcelain that were used for centuries to furnish the Ottoman palaces are all among the best products to shop for in Istanbul.

When a guest visits Istanbul and recognizes its uniqueness and views the matchless collection of monuments and historical sites including churches, mosques, fortresses, and palaces that the city hosts, he will definitely think of when his next visit will take place. This is because Istanbul has its magic and beauty that attracts people from all over the world to enjoy the masterpieces of art that can only be found in the city.

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Istanbul Trips!

Istanbul trips, it is where god, humans, nature, and art al harmonize together to create this marvelous city. Truly, it is a place that must be visited;. This is how Lamartine, the French author defined Istanbul, the city that he was fond of and where a hotel holding his name was founded.

When a guest first visits Istanbul, the city of peace, he finds himself in a totally distinctive world filled with the scent of history. It is a marvelous destination where the authenticity of the past mingles with the dreams and ambitions of the future. Istanbul trip was where various cultures and civilizations have blended through different periods of time constituting a unique magical open air museum.

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the most vital. It is also one of the most distinctive regions in the world due to its unique geographical location as it is the only city in the world which borders stretch over two continents; Europe and Asia.

Istanbul was named in the past as the capital of capitals as it formed a region of peace governing the Roman Empire then the Byzantine. Nowadays, the city that was once the capital of the Ottoman Empire is developing very quickly towards a future that every Turkish is proud of.

A large number of guests with different inspirations visit Istanbul every year. The city offers a matchless variety of historical mosques, churches, museums, markets, magnificent natural scenes, and endless temptations.
The Ottomans were inspired by the Byzantine style of Churches architecture in building their mosques and they added minarets and decorated their mosques beautifully from inside.

Try sitting on the Bosporus during the sunset watching the sun rays reflection on the windows of the houses on the other bank and during this special moment, you will only recognize why people have chosen this specific location to live thousands of year in the past and you will feel that Istanbul is truly the center of the universe.
Constantinople, or Islambul, Asetana, or Al Bab Al Ali as the Arabs preferred to call it in different periods of time are all names of the current day Istanbul which is one of the most ancient cities in Europe.

The strategic location of Constantinople made Istanbul play a vital political, cultural, and commercial role as a center between Asia, Europe, and the Northern Africa.

Many remarkable mosques were constructed all around the city of Istanbul and Ottoman emperors who came to rule the city over different periods of time competed to create their in the finest possible styles.

The Ottoman Empire remained in control of Istanbul and many other regions in the world for around five hundred years until the declaration of the Turkish republic in 1923. In the same year, the capital of the new Republic of Turkey was transferred to Ankara. Istanbul, as a result has witnessed a period of decline when many Romans left the city and immigrated to Greece. This is besides the large number of Armenians and Jewish who deserted the city.

Istanbul has always remained the most important commercial capital of Turkey and offers many attractions to visit the country.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque or the blue Mosque in Istanbul Tours

Istanbul Tours: Istanbul, as one of the greatest and most ancient cities of Europe, hosts a vast number of monuments and historical sites that attract travelers from all over the world to visit the city to view this matchless mixture of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic monuments. Each of these religions has left many landmarks in Istanbul Tours to show their greatness and the uniqueness of their art.

The Islamic architecture in particular has flourished in Istanbul Tours during the long period of the Ottoman Empire that ruled over different areas of the world influencing the structural designs in various areas and cities.

After the Ottomans conquered Istanbul Tours in 1453, the city has been transformed into a unique open air museum of wonderful Islamic art and mosques. Many of these historical mosques and monuments are still standing tall to amaze the visitors of Istanbul Tours with its high graceful minarets ornamenting the sky of Istanbul Tours.

Istanbul Tours, the capital of the Islamic caliphate for more than 500 years, is the finest evidence of the skills and creativity of the Islamic architecture.

If the Turkish people were proud that the land of Istanbul Tours has hosted, Hagia Sophia one of the greatest churches ever built in the world, the Ottomans of Istanbul Tours were able to challenge the brilliance and creativity of the Roman Empire by erecting magnificent mosques like the Blue Mosque, Solamenya Mosque, and Al Fateh Mosque.

The building of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque

After the death of Murad III in 1603, Sultan Ahmed I has came into power ruling over the Ottoman Empire for a short period that went from 1603 till 1617 AD.

After signing the Peace of Zsitvatorok treaty in 1606 and the unwanted result of this political action that led to many wars with The Safavid dynasty, Sultan Ahmed I has decided to build a huge mosque in Istanbul Tours and it was the first ottoman mosque to be erected in the city in forty years of time.

The previous Sultans of the Ottoman Empire used to take the money needed for building their mosques from the spoils of the wars they win. However, Sultan Ahmed, since he hasn't any military victories to be mentioned, has taken the money to construct his mosque from the treasury of the nation.

The same as his ancestors, Sultan Ahmed decided to establish a mosque, or let say a comprehensive Islamic complex offering all sorts of civil, scientific, and social services for the inhabitants of Istanbul Tours. Sultan Ahmed tried to make his mosque a matchless piece of art competing with the magnificent Church of Hagia Sophia.

Sultan Ahmed bought a vast piece of land for the construction of his mosque. Being near the Sultan's Palace facing the sea directly, he picked this exact location to build his wonderful mosque. Sultan Ahmed ordered Mohamed Agha, the most famous engineer of the time who was educated by Senan Pasha, the greatest builder of the Ottoman Empire, to design the new mosque.

Sultan Ahmed wanted to amplify the greatness of his new mosque. Therefore, his asked Mohamed Agha, the architecture of the mosque to construct the mosque with six high minarets. However, he faced a problem while erecting these six minarets because the only Islamic religious structure that contained six minarets at the time was the Mosque of Mecca. Therefore, he ordered his men to add a seventh minaret to Mecca and he also added a golden covering to the Kaaba.

The construction work of the Sultan Ahmed or the Blue Mosque in Istanbul Tours has started in 1609 AD and the work lasted for seven years until the mosque was opened in 1616, one year before the death of the Sultan. The mosques, after its establishment has become one of the major mosques and one of the most important Islamic centers in Turkey being a clear evidence of the cleverness of the Moslem architectures viewed from far away from the Marmara Sea and the Bosporus Strait.

The description of the mosque

The upper section of the entrance of the mosque of Sultan Ahmed hosts more than 200 small windows to allow the lights to enter the mosque. However, these days the light comes from various lamps that are hung from the ceiling.

One of the most significant characteristics of the mosque is the golden Mehrab that is decorated with gold and marble with two verses of the Quran ornamenting its top. There is also the golden marvelously decorated Minbar, or chair of the Imam, of the mosque. This minbar was designed in a way allowing all the prayers to see the Imam in all times even if the mosque is extremely crowded.

The prayer hall in the Blue Mosque is of rectangular shape that is nearly a square and it is 72 meters wide and 64 meters long and it is considered one of the largest prayer halls in the world. Three large bronze doors lead from the prayer hall to the "Sahn" of the mosque or the courtyard of the mosque, with the middle door being the widest among them, and these doors are decorated with amazing marble ornaments.

The luxuriously decorated huge dome of the mosque is located in the middle of the prayer hall with a diameter that is 33.5 meters as Sultan Ahmed wanted the dome of his mosque to be larger than this of Hagia Sophia. The dome of the mosque is lifted on four large pillars that the Turkish like to call the "legs of the elephant" with a diameter of five meters and the walls of the mosque are constructed all around them.

Surrounding the large dome of the mosque, there are four beautiful half domes that were designed to give the sense of freedom as if cruising in the air. These half domes are the best example of the architecture of the builder of the mosque, Mohamed Agha, who was able to evolve the ideas of his tutor in combining the beauty of the inner parts of the dome with the greatness and attractiveness of the outer part.

In these smaller half domes, there are marvelously decorated colored windows that are truly a piece of fabulous art. There are 260 small windows divided into five rows ornamented with the most wonderful glass works making the mosque shine like a jewel.

The lights that enter the mosque through the windows is reflected on 21043 bright ceramic tiles with more than 50 different designs including tulip, plants, and cloves designs that cover up the whole mosque from inside with its unique green and blue colors. This is why the mosque is called the blue mosque.

Another matchless feature of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul Tours is the tiles turquoise colored tiles that contain Quran inscriptions written in a shining golden color in the royal section of the prayer hall. This is besides the various ornaments that are spread all over the mosque from inside.

In the left section of the prayer hall, there is the distinctive royal court of the mosque. This section has an amazingly decorated Mihrab or niche indicating the direction of Mecca decorated with mosaic and jeweler ornaments. The door of this section is decorated with gold and pearl giving the whole scene a marvelous view pleasing the visitors.

The Sahn or open courtyard of the mosque

The mosque of Sultan Ahmed contains a large open courtyard that is surrounded with four arcanas with 26 pillars lifting them made out of pure granite with 30 small domes all around the open courtyard of the mosque.

There is an ablution section which is hexagonal in shape and lifted with six large marble columns beautifully designed as the rest of the mosque.

The famous minarets of the mosque

No visitor can ever neglect watching the six minarets of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque with four minarets at the prayer hall section and two at the Sahn of the mosque or the open courtyard of the mosque. These minarets are the finest example of the Ottoman style of minaret architecture with the famous pencil shape.

There are three small balconies or four locations for the call for prayer in the four minarets at the prayer hall section and there are only two of them in the minarets at the Sahn of the mosque.

The image of the mosque of Sultan Ahmed, which the Sultan himself has started its construction work with his own hands was put on the Turkish money from the year 1953 till the year 1967.

A whole comprehensive complex

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul Tours is not only a beautiful place for prayer, but also a whole complex that plays a major religious, social, economical, and civil role in the lives of the Turkish people and families.

There is a primary school to the side of the mosque offering education to a large sector of the society. This is besides a hospital that provides all sorts of medical and health services, a Sabil offering water, and a restaurant that provides free food for the needy. All of these structures are situated in a marvelous garden with various plants and flowers.

Turkey vacations!

The number of tourists visiting Turkey has tremendously increased during the past recent few years. This progress in the tourism business in Turkey was achieved due to a number of reasons. The first and most effective reason was the development of the whole country and the increasing attention the Turkish government is giving to the tourism sector establishing new hotels and improving all sorts of touristic services and facilities.

Other than the development aspect, Turkey has always attracted travelers from all over the world to explore the wonders located in the country that has a rich long history of a kingdom that once governed most of the old world

Right Travel offers all sorts of guided tours to Turkey. Just dream of the tour you wish to go on and we will be able, due to our long experience, to fulfill all your needs and demands.

Our private guided tours to Turkey are reliable, convenient, and come with the best competitive prices with the highest level of services, accommodations, transportation, and facilities.

We offer our guests with a number of private guided tours to Turkey ranging from three to nine days and covering all the highlights of the country.

All of our private guided tours to Turkey are accompanied by the finest educated long experienced English speaking tour guides with the finest level of communication skills being able to fulfill the demands of all travelers coming from different ages and social backgrounds.

We organize tours to all the touristic destinations in Turkey including Istanbul, Anatolia, Kusadasi, and Cappadocia. However, if any traveler wishes to visit any other destination that is not mentioned above, we have the ability and experience to organize him the finest tailor made travel package offering him with the most perfect chance to visit the destination he wishes