Istanbul Theme Events and Tours

Byzantine Tour of Istanbul

This tour includes a visit of Chora Church (Kariye Museum), the Hippodrome, the Underground Cistern and St. Sophia.

The Hippodrome, the square in front of the Blue Mosque is located on the site of the ancient Hippodrome. It was the center of the civil activities in Constantinopolis. The Hippodrome was an immense structure begun in 203 by the Emperor Septimius Severus; later extended and remodeled by Constantine the Great. About one hundred thousand spectators attended the chariot races that were held there. The Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column, the Column of Constantine and the German Fountain are the monuments situated in the central line of the Hippodrome and still outstanding.

St Sophie, the Church of the Divine Wisdom, was dedicated by Justinian in 537. For nearly a thousand years thereafter St Sophia served as the cathedral of Constantinople and was the center of the religious life of the Byzantine Empire. For almost five centuries after the Turkish conquest it ranked first among the imperial mosques of Istanbul. It continued to serve as a mosque during the early years of the Turkish Republic, until it was finally converted into a museum in 1935. Now emptied of the congregations which once worshipped there, Christians and Moslems in turn, it may seem just a cold and barren shell, devoid of life and spirit. But for those who are aware of its long and distinguished history and are familiar with its architectural principals, St Sophia remains one of the truly great buildings in the world.

Chora Church, is after the St Sophia, the most interesting Byzantine church in the city because of its superb mosaics and frescoes. These mosaics and frescoes are far and away the most important and extensive series of Byzantine paintings in the city and among the most interesting in the world, so typical of the dawn of the Renaissance. No trace remains of the original ancient church, nor is anything certain known about its origin. The present building in its first form dates back from the late eleventh century. But it did not last long in its original form. The church itself and the decoration goes back to the 14th century. The church was converted into a mosque in the early 16th century and finally turned into a museum.

Underground Cistern was known in Byzantium as the Basilica Cistern because it lay underneath the Stoa Basilica, the second of the two great squares on the first hill of Constantinopolis. Throughout the Byzantine period it was used to store water for the great palace and other buildings on the first hill and after the conquest its waters were used for the gardens of the Topkapi Palace. Nevertheless, general knowledge of the cistern's existence seems to have been lost in the century after the conquest, and it was not rediscovered until 1545. It is the largest and most beautiful of the many underground cisterns in the city. Recently restored and the invisible parts opened to public this subterranean palace has excited the romantic imagination of many travelers.

Notes:
St. Sophia is closed on Mondays
The Chora Church is closed on Wednesdays