Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise and Seven Hills Tour

Jewish quarter of Old City Istanbul. Walk trough the historicl buildings, experience the local life of the old Jewish settlement. Another Istanbul neighborhood deeply associated with Jewish settlement is Kuzguncuk on the Asian shore. Golden Horn: the ancient Greek colonistschose Halic or Golden Horn to be the site for Byzantium. The natural harbor made it convenient for sea traffic-both commercial and martial. It is considered to be world’s largest natural harbor and separates the European shore of Istanbul into two.

Pierre Loti is famous hill with a beautiful panaromic view of Golden Horn and the Historical peninsula. You will also enjoy the way back down from the hill in Cable Car. There is a very nice cafe on the top of the hill. The famous cafe entitled with the name of Pierre Loti, a famous French writer, is reached on getting to this ridge on which the perfect view of Golden Horn can be watched. The real name of Pierre Loti, who lived in Istanbul for long years and was a real Istanbul lover, was Julien Viaud.The historical cafe is the most ideal place to watch this mentioned view.

It is connecting the European and Asia sides of Istanbul, 1560 meters. The Bosphorus Bridge was the fourth longest suspension bridge in the world. Unique chance to step from one continent to other in 3 mintes. Every October, the annual Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon crosses the bridge on its way from Asia to Europe. During the marathon, the bridge is closed to vehicular traffic. In October, visitors participate in the ‘fun run’ and cross the bridge on foot. Many take picnics to enjoy the view. The bridge was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 1000 lira banknotes of 1978-1986.

Camlica Hill has very nice view of the charming Bosphorus and mouth of Golden Horn. There are historical-designed teahouses, and restaurant inside a public park with monumental trees, flower gardens and fountains. Çamlica hill is 268 meters above the sea level. Çamlica Hill is located within the borders of Üsküdar district, on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, near the first suspension bridge. Camlica, a place with two hills overlooking the Bosphorus and the Marmara Sea, is one of the most favored promenades in Istanbul, and also one of the highest and most charming places in the city.

One of the best way to get a feel for Istanbul is take a cruise on the legendary Bosphorus. The majestic strait that ruins through Istanbul, linking Europe and Asia. From your cruise boat, you can view the dramatic sights lining the Bosphorus’ wooded shores: the Beylerbeyi Palace, the Rumeli Fortress, the Ciragan Palace, The Dolmabahce Palace, the Mainden’s Tower, the 19th century mansions of the Ottaman elite and many more… As part of the only passage between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean via Marmara Sea, the Bosphorus has always been of great importance from a commercial and military point of view, and remains strategically important today.

Built in 1660, Spice Bazaar is the place to lay in a fesh supply of spices, nuts, honeycomb, Turkish delights, dried figs, caviar and mature hard Turkish cheese, small gifts and more… Located in the Eminönü quarter of the Old City district, it is the most famous covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar. There are several documents suggesting the name of the bazaar was first “New Bazaar”. The building was endowed to the foundation of the New Mosque, and got its name “Egyptian Bazaar” (Turkish: Mısır Çarşısı) because it was built with the revenues from the Ottoman eyalet of Egypt in 1660.