Photos: bluetime93, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Jorge Láscar from Australia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo credits
Photos: bluetime93, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Jorge Láscar from Australia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome
Your local guide
Elif Yılmaz
View profile
Highlights
- Hagia Sophia's Byzantine mosaics, uncovered and explained
- The Blue Mosque's thousands of hand-painted tiles
- The Hippodrome's three surviving ancient columns
- Where each Hippodrome column originally came from
- How one square has served two empires
About this tour
This session covers the historic centre of Sultanahmet, from Hagia Sophia's mosaics to the İznik tiles of the Blue Mosque and the three ancient columns of the Hippodrome. The camera moves between the two great domes that face each other and the open square between them. It traces how one small area carried the weight of two empires.
The session opens with a sound check, then moves building to building, working around prayer times so nothing is rushed, with questions taken along the way. A short list of what was covered is sent after the call ends.
This suits anyone interested in Byzantine or Ottoman history, or anyone planning a first visit to Istanbul's old city. It also suits returning visitors who want the history explained properly this time.
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 7 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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Hagia Sophia 21 min
Inside Hagia Sophia's vast prayer hall, the camera picks out the old Byzantine mosaics on the upper walls, uncovered outside prayer times, and the guide explains how the building has passed between faiths across nearly fifteen centuries.
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Blue Mosque 21 min
Inside the Blue Mosque, the camera takes in the thousands of hand-painted İznik tiles covering the walls, and the guide explains why the mosque earned its name from the blue light inside.
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The Hippodrome 21 min
In the Hippodrome, once the chariot racing ground of the Byzantine capital, the camera moves between its three surviving columns, and the guide explains where each one came from and how old the square really is.
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Your questions 14 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 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Kebab 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 12 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 Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) 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 meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Istanbul live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
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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Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Sun 25 Oct · 12 seats left From 29,00 €
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