Photos: Kadı, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Aysenur Ede , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo credits
Photos: Kadı, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Dosseman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Aysenur Ede , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Hippodrome's obelisks and the German Fountain
Your local guide
Rıza Bulut
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Highlights
- An obelisk carved millennia earlier
- Hieroglyphs in the middle of Istanbul
- A fountain barely a century old
- Two monuments, wildly different ages
- The Hippodrome's overlooked details
About this tour
This session focuses on two monuments in the Hippodrome usually mentioned only in passing: the Egyptian Obelisk and the German Fountain nearby. You see the obelisk's ancient hieroglyphs and the fountain's much more recent ironwork in the same short session. Rıza explains how a column carved millennia earlier and a fountain built a century ago ended up sharing the same square.
The call opens with a sound check at the obelisk, then moves the short distance to the fountain. Rıza answers questions about both monuments and sends a short note afterwards on their very different ages.
This suits anyone who has already seen the Hippodrome's main sights and wants its overlooked details explained properly. It also works well as a short, focused session between longer walks.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Istanbul before heading out.
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Egyptian Obelisk 15 min
The camera holds on the hieroglyphs of the Egyptian Obelisk in the Hippodrome, and Rıza explains how a column carved millennia earlier ended up in the middle of an Ottoman square.
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German Fountain 15 min
You see the ornate German Fountain nearby, and Rıza points out details that reveal its far more recent, 20th-century origin compared with the obelisk beside it.
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Your questions 7 min
Time to ask anything about Istanbul: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 3 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Meze and Sultanahmet, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Istanbul time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Istanbul, showing you Egyptian Obelisk and German Fountain live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We connect on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk the square live with my phone.
Times shown in Istanbul time (GMT+3)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Thu 12 Nov · 10 seats left From 18,00 €
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