22 APRIL 2012- ISTANBUL ARRIVAL
Upon your arrival at the Istanbul Airport and as you exit baggage claim, you will be met by a True Blue Tour representative for transfer to your hotel in the Sultanahmet old city district of Istanbul, which is the heart of tourism in Turkey. The rest of the day is free for you to pass at your leisure. If your arrival time allows, you will pass by our office on the way to your hotel for introductions, tea and a bit of orientation about your tour. The remainder of the day will be free for you to pass at your leisure. If your arrival schedule allows time, we will be happy to arrange a daily tour for you or to make suggestions for a relaxing Turkish Bath experience or for anything else that you may be interested to do such as sightseeing, shopping, dining or clubbing. You have the option to enjoy a Turkish Night Dinner and Dancing Show with hotel transfers and limited drinks included, just let us know if you are interested. Overnight in Istanbul.
23 APRIL 2012- BEST OF ISTANBUL TOUR (Breakfast, Lunch)
Hagia Sophia, Underground Cistern, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Bosphorus Cruise, Cable Car to Pierre Loti Hill Cafe, Rustem Pasa Mosque
After breakfast in your hotel, you will be picked up at around 09:00 for your full day guided tour of Istanbul's main attractions.
Underground Cistern: Built by Justinian after 532, the Basilica Cistern stored water for the Great Palace and nearby buildings. Lost to memory, it was rediscovered in the mid sixteenth century by Petrus Gyllius, who had been sent to Constantinople by the French King Francis I in search of Byzantine monuments and manuscripts. Gyllius, who noticed that the local people were lowering buckets through holes in the floors of their houses to retrieve water, found an entrance and thus put this mysterious subterranean architectural surprise back on the map. You will marvel at the almost 10,000 square meters of space supported by 336 marble columns each nine meters in height.
Sultanahmet Mosque/Blue Mosque: This mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I between 1609 and 1616 and is located in the district of old istanbul that is named after this Ottoman Sultan. It is distinguished by its six slender minarets. The central dome is 43 m in height and 33.4 m in diameter and there are 260 stained glass windows throughout the mosque. Due to the intricately decorated blue, green and red tiles of its interior it has long been referred to as the Blue Mosque. These tiles, produced and painted by hand in Iznik (ancient Nicaea), are an attraction in and of themselves. The Quranic inscriptions that you will see throughout the mosque were made by Seyyid Kasım Gubari, one of the most famous calligraphers of his time.
Roman Hippodrome and Monuments: The ancient Hippodrome was the center of Byzantine social life and the scene of fiercely competitive chariot races. It was located in the square adjacent to the Byzantine imperial palace, the site of which is now the Blue Mosque, and is still the site of ancient relics from its glory days. These relics are the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. Remains of the curved end of the Hippodrome wall can be seen on the southwest side of the three monuments.
Hagia Sophia Museum: The Hagia Sophia that stands today was the primary church of Byzantine Constantinople and was built upon the site of two earlier churches that had been destroyed. Emperor Justinian I (527-565) commissioned the project and had materials brought in from all around his empire for the massive church’s construction. The Hagia Sophia was the most important church of the Christian East. Structurally, it was the first of its design and boasted the largest dome that had yet been engineered which provided a voluminous and well illuminated interior that continues to be impressive in its sheer scale. After Constantinople fell to the Ottomans in 1453, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque and was used as such throughout the Ottoman period. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the modern Turkish Republic’s most revered founding father and its first Prime Minister, initiated the process to have the Hagia Sophia transformed into a museum which opened for visitors in February 1935.
Luncheon service will be enjoyed in a local restaurant.
Bosphorus Cruise: We will cruise on the Bosphorus to allow you the prime perspective from which to view the fine palaces, pavilions, Ottoman houses and seaside neighborhoods along the shores of this famous and historic waterway connecting the Black Sea and the Maramara Sea. You will be struck by the volume and contrast of activity upon the water as fishermen in small wooden boats drop their lines in what seems to be the way of commuter ferry boats that dodge giant cargo ships and tankers as they shuttle back and forth between Asia and Europe.
Rumeli Fortress (From the sea): The largest fortification for the protection of Istanbul was built by Sultan Mehmet II in 1451 before his conquest of the city. This garrison is well preserved and its towers and walls can be seen clearly as our boat passes by.
Cable Car to Pierre Loti: Enjoy the beautiful view from the cable car as you climb the hill to the cafe named for the famous French writer and naval officer, Louis Marie Julien Viaud a.k.a. Pierre Loti (1850 -1923), who wrote fiction based on his experiences in Istanbul .
Rustem Pasha Mosque: This majestic and surprising little mosque was designed by the most famous of Ottoman architects, Mimar Sinan, for the Grand Vizier Rustem Pasha who had married Princess Mihrimah, one of the daughters of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. Its construction took place from 1561 to 1563. The mosque is famous for its exquisite Iznik tiles that are set in beautiful floral and geometric arrangements and which cover not only the facade of the porch but also the mihrab, minbar, walls, and columns of the interior.
At the conclusion of the tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel. Please note that the order in which sites are visited may vary. Overnight in Istanbul. (B,L)
24 APRIL 2012- ISTANBUL TO GALLIPOLI
We will meet in the morning at 10:00 in front of the True Blue Tour office in the Sultanahmet old city district of Istanbul. This is the heart of tourism in Istanbul where many hotels and hostels are located. We will board our new model air conditioned coach and head towards Eceabat, stopping along the way to pick up supplies for lunch and the overnight stay at Gallipoli.
Traveling along the scenic Marmara Coast and with plenty of time for photo opportunities, we will take a short break in Tekirdag before we reach Eceabat, the port town of Gallipoli and the closest point to the memorial site. Once we arrive in Gallipoli we will drive to the Anzac cove in the early evening in order to get the best spots and pass the night waiting for the Dawn Service to begin. There will be documentary movies about the Gallipoli war campaign on big screens throughout the night.
*Please note that this year we have decided not to depart too early, as we may not be allowed to make a battlefield tour on the 24th due to security restrictions. 25 APRIL 2012- ANZAC DAY COMMEMORATIONS AND RETURN TO ISTANBUL (Breakfast, Box Lunch)
At first light we will witness the Dawn Service, which is always an emotional and moving experience for everyone present at the observance. You will hear tributes to and recollections about the brave ANZAC troops, after which all those gathered will join together in a procession to Gallipoli. We will remember the fallen with commemorations for the Australian Service at Lone Pine and the New Zealand service at Chunuk Bair. After the services have concluded, your guide will round you up from either Lone Pine or Chunuk Bair and we will board our coach for departure to Eceabat. We will make a short break in Eceabat to drop off those who will not be returning to Istanbul. You have the option to leave our tour and take a ferry to Canakkale from where you may continue your travels around Turkey. Our coach will then depart for Istanbul. We will arrive in the evening and you will be dropped off at your hotel in Istanbul. Overnight in Istanbul. (B,L)
26 APRIL 2012- ISTANBUL DEPARTURE (Breakfast)
Enjoy breakfast service at your hotel and check out by noon. You will have free time until pick up for your airport transfer according to your flight schedule. (B)
Please make note of the following:
