Istanbul City Walls & Byzantine Secrets – Private Walking Tour
Description
See the real part and all colors of Istanbul. Every single corner of the city is hiding a secret, hiding a story. Come to see all history of the city. By a private tour you can customize your trip as you wish. Old city, City Walls, local places. City walls of the Great Byzantion
Tour Options
Itinerary
After meeting, we will go to Yedikule area to see biggest part of the City Walls (by taxi or public transportation) and we will see The Golden Gate. Yedikule was always an importat gate and dungeons durin Ottoman period.
The Silivri Kapı, the next main gate to the north of the Belgrad Kapı, is situated between two polygonal gateway towers. This gate was renewed in the Late Byzantine period with irregular stones and brick rows placed in between.
Walk along the defenses that held off invaders for over a millennium! The magnificent Theodosian Walls are a masterpiece of medieval military engineering. This wasn't just a single wall; it was a multi-layered system featuring a deep moat, an outer defense wall, and a massive 12-meter high inner wall—all designed to absorb cannon fire and repel siege engines. We’ll show you the strategic genius that kept Constantinople safe from numerous armies.
"Discover the hidden Sistine Chapel of Istanbul. The Chora Museum, originally the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora, houses the most spectacular surviving collection of Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in the world. Created in the 14th century, these vibrant, emotional masterpieces represent the pinnacle of the Palaeologan Renaissance, showing a shift toward naturalism and human feeling rarely seen in earlier Byzantine art. It is a mandatory stop for any art or history lover. (Closed on Fridays)
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Not recommended for anyone has leg problems
Reviews(20)
This was one of the few tours of Istanbul to focus on the Byzantine era. The walls of Constantinople were a marvel of the ancient world. Miles of the Theodosian walls remain and should not be missed. The Yedikule Fortress at the southern end of the walls is just as impressive; it would be the major tourist attraction in many other cities. The highlight of the day, though, was the Chora Church, now the Kariye Mosque, with its breathtaking mosaics. Getting to these sights would not be straightforward for a first-time visitor to the city, as they are off the beaten path; going with Taha made it easy. He brought everything to life with his deep knowledge of the history of this ancient city. Taha is an outstanding, highly professional guide, with excellent English and a very pleasant a respectful personality. I highly recommend him.
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! You’ve described the tour perfectly the Theodosian Walls, Yedikule Fortress, and the Chora Church mosaics are truly some of Istanbul’s greatest treasures, yet so few visitors discover them. It was a pleasure sharing the Byzantine history of this incredible city with you. Your kind words about my guiding mean a great deal to me. I hope our paths cross again in Istanbul! Taha
The tour guy has showed us the beauty of Istambul ,and also spoke really beautiful about the history. I will sure come back in Istambul More about the tour guy we had: he explaind the important things and he also talked with us about our day or our visit here so he was a really nice guy and he always asked if we want breaks so he always wanted to make sure that everything is ok He also showed us some historically monuments in just half and a lit bit of a day and it was the important infomation and if we had questions he will try to give the answer if he knew for sure. He has made a very good plan to visit Istambul and in other places they don't orgonaise like him ,some we saved a lot of time. It was a really beautiful visit in Istanbul for the first time and I will sure come back
Dear Marc, I really appreciate your kind words! Your support motivates me to keep sharing. Looking forward to our next adventure together!
Taha was our guide during our trip Turkiye. He is really expert on all history and culture. We really enjoyed all time we spent together thanks again
Dear Guest, I really appreciate your kind words! Your support motivates me to keep sharing. Looking forward to our next adventure together!
Taha was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable, it was a very lovely experience. I definitely recommend if you're looking for a guided tour.
Wow, thank you so much for your kind feedback! It means the world to me. Hope to meet again! Taha
Taha was a really good Guide, we loved the family as if it was a family member, it was wonderful to hear from you again and again thanks
Wow, thank you so much for your kind feedback! It means the world to me. Hope to meet again! Taha
Very good Guide. We took a tour with the students. Very well taken care of. He’s dominant in history, so all questions are simple and clearly answered. Recommendation for everyone
Wow, thank you so much for your kind feedback! It means the world to me. Hope to meet again! Taha
Taha picked us up from our hotel and tailored made the walking tour according to our needs and what we wanted to see. Very knowledgeable
Wow, thank you so much for your kind feedback! It means the world to me. Hope to meet again! Taha
Fantastic tour with Ally and Taja. They worked out a super itinerary that perfectly suited our needs and were so friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I learned so much and can’t wait to tour with them on our next trip.
Wow, thank you so much for your kind feedback! It means the world to me. Hope to meet again! Taha
If you like history stories and touch something old more then a millennium istanbul (Byzantium) is one of the best cities ,temples, castles, city protection walls, Aqueducts etc
Wow, thank you so much for your kind feedback! It means the world to me. Hope to meet again! Taha
We did another tour with Taha. And very different very amazing atmosphere it was. We climbed the city walls and felt very special actually. Thank you for special experience.
Wow, thank you so much for your kind feedback! It means the world to me. Hope to meet again! Taha