Discover Byzantine Heritage with Us
Our Byzantines Tour covers the most important Byzantine monuments in Istanbul;
*Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture in Istanbul. Built by the Eastern Romans about 1500 years ago and still standing in perfect shape.
*The Chora Church was originally built outside the walls of Constantinople, to the south of the Golden Horn. The church's full name was the Church of the Holy Saviour in the Country The last part of that name, Chora, referring to its location originally outside of the walls, became the shortened name of the church. This small church is housing a lot of Byzantine mosaics and frescoes now and definitely worth a visit.
*The Church of St.Saviour Pantocrator: Between 1118 and 1124 Byzantine Empress Eirene Komnena built a monastery on this site dedicated to Christ Pantokrator.The monastery consisted of a main church, also dedicated to the Pantokrator, a library and a hospital. Shortly after the Conquest of Constantinople the building was converted into a mosque, and the monastery was converted for a while into a Medrese. The Ottomans named it after Molla Zeyrek, a scholar who was teaching there. However, due to its importance in Byzantine history, Zeyrek was one among the few buildings of Istanbul whose ancient denomination was never forgotten. Among others, the church of Pantokrator is remembered by Pierre Gilles in his classic work about Constantinople, written in the sixteenth century. The rooms of the monastery occupied by the Medrese vanished later.
Until a few years ago, the edifice was in a desolate state, and as a result it was added to the UNESCO watchlist of endangered monuments. During the recent years it underwent extensive (albeit still unfinished) restoration.
Today Zeyrek Mosque is - after Hagia Sophia - the second largest extant religious edifice built by the Byzantines in Istanbul.To the East lies the Ottoman Konak (Zeyrek Hane), which has also been restored and is now open as a restaurant and tea garden.
*Basilica Cistern, the largest of the cisterns built by Romans from 532, is open as a museum now and impresses all the people visiting. One of the most famous James Bond movies, From Russia with Love was filmed in Istanbul and you can see some parts of this old cistern in that movie.
Tour price; Due to the fact that we do individually designed tours to suit visitors interest and needs we do not have a standard fee per tour. When you send us your tour requirements we will help you devise an itinerary. When this has been completed we will quote you a rate accordingly. For the exact pricing please contact us.
Note: Hagia Sophia is closed on Mondays,The Chora Church is closed on Wednesdays,and The Church of St.Saviour Pantocrator can be seen only after prayers. All of our tours can easily be customized to suit individual preferences - This is a suggested itinerary only. For your personal preferences please contact us.
