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Parts Unknown-Alternative Istanbul Tour - Suleymaniye Mosque

Duration: 2h and 15min
Languages: English, Spanish
Quality Verified Registered on February 03, 2018

We are a group of friends and official guides from Istanbul. We are in love with our city and we would like to share it with you. For this reason, we have decided to offer our travelers some tours to discover its charm together. Passion, enthusiasm and professionalism characterize us and will be the perfect ingredients to make you experience Istanbul as we do.

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  • Free booking and cancellation
    Free payment tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free

Tour description

This tour is a great alternative if you have already seen Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque part, or looking for a more off-the-beaten-track-free tour!

It covers the main attractions of our city but mainly focuses on the hidden gems that are well and truly "off the beaten track" and gives you facts you wouldn't know or notice walking around by yourself.

We will try to explain to you how it feels to be a Turkish person by telling stories about Turkish weddings, social life, daily routines, foods, and much more

Note: Our tour guides are licensed, they studied 4 years to be a guide and this is their full-time job. They will give you plenty of clues that you can save time and money. Recommended tipping at least 10 Euros, 10 Us Dollars or 400 TRY

 

Places to Visit: 

  • Soleymaniye Mosque
  • Beyazıt Square
  • Ancient Book Market( Sahaflar Carsısı) 
  • Beyazit Mosque 
  • Corlulu Ali Pasa Madrasah
  • Istanbul University
  • Markets of Tahtakale and Mahmutpasa
  • Ottoman Cementry
  • Wooden ottoman houses 
  • Suleymaniye view point


 



During this tour;

We will first have a short visit to a local hangout place Corlulu Ali Pasa Madrasah and see why the Italian people say ‘you smoke like a Turk’

We will then make our way to one of Istanbul’s oldest markets- the Old Book Bazaar Sahaflar Çarşısı; located on the site of the Byzantine Empire’s book and paper market and talk about the education system in Turkey

Visit the glorious Suleymaniye Mosque and learn about Sultan Süleyman!

We will tell you then about the wedding ceremonies, arranged marriages! We will also touch subjects like LGBT, how politics are in our country from a local perspective!

We will also help you meet Turkish Jimmy Hendrix of the kebabs! 

We will visit 15th century Beyazit mosque(no touristy) 

We have personally designed this tour for our guests to really get into the crevices of our great city. Your day will be filled with abundant information, fascinating stories, and experiences that you could not have with any other tour guide company!

Nothing unexpected or wonderful is likely to happen if you have an itinerary in Paris filled with the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.”  So we believe the same for Istanbul! 

Are you ready for a local adventure?  




İmportant notes: 

1) if you are are group more than 8 people we don't accept your reservation even you make seperate bookings. Your guide has the right not to accept your group if you come as a big group. This tour is designed for solo travellers couples and small groups. Please contact us if you have a big group so we can arrange private tour for you.

2) if you have a classic tour same morning you won't be able to have enough time to arrive on time for our tour. Please don't book our tour If you have a classic tour in the morning.

3) the tour ends in the garden of Suleymaniye Mosque. After the tour ends, we like to show you one of the best kebabs in town.(optional and extra-fairly priced) and you have a option to sample Turkish delights and fruit teas . If you re willing you can follow your guide after the tour ends.(which is completely optional)

Thanks


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Highlights

What will we visit on this tour?

  • Meeting point:
    Mimar hayrettin mah, Beyazıt, Yeniçer...
    Mimar hayrettin mah, Beyazıt, Yeniçeriler Cd. no 39 /1, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey
    View on map

    I'll be waiting with a yellow umbrella in front of Corlulu Ali Pasha Madrasah, at the entrance

  • 1
    Free admission
    Corlulu Ali Pasha Madrasah

    The Madrasa within the complex was repaired in 1910 and 1965. Famous for the hookah place in its courtyard, the madrasa had become increasingly popular among students and tourists since the 1970s.

  • 2
    Free admission
    Grand Bazaar

    The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops. It was built in 1455 by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror

  • 3
    Free admission
    Sahaflar Çarşısı ( Old Book Bazaar )

    The book market is one of the oldest markets in the city. Once located in the Grand Bazaar, it has been moved to its current location on the site of Chartoprateia, the book and paper market at Byzantium times. At the time, there were a total of 50 shops full of literature and about 300 employees in this bazaar.

  • 4
    Free admission
    Beyazıt Mosque

    It was built by Sultan Beyazit on the biggest square of the city during the Byzantine era. The complex consisting of a mosque, a madrasah, a bath, a caravanserai, a tannery and a primary school was scattered.

  • 5
    Outside visit
    Istanbul University

    The Beyazıt-Central campus includes Faculty of Law, Faculty of Economy, Faculty of Political Science, Faculty of Communication and the Hasan Ali Yücel Faculty of Education. The campus, which is located in a great garden in the Antique City and in the middle of the city’s busy quarter, is of great importance with its historical and aesthetic architectural buildings. The main campus at Beyazıt of the Istanbul University was previously used as the Ministry of War. On September 12, 1923 this building was hand

  • 6
    Free admission
    La Mezquita de Suleyman

    Süleymaniye Mosque, grand hilltop structure built in the 16th century on the orders of, and named after, Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in Istanbul, Turkey. It was designed by Sinan

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours do not have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end of the tour the amount that he or she considers appropriate (these usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).

Tour opinions

908 ratings
4.7
By category
Professionalism
4.88
Fun
4.74
Expression
4.81
Quality
4.81
Route
4.78
Generic
5 stars
825
4 stars
61
3 stars
17
2 stars
2
1 star
3
Ann 28 Apr 2024
Hamburg

Verified booking
Travelled alone - Apr 2024
A really nice tour around Istanbul, when you already did the common things such as Hagia Sophia and blue mosque. Our guide was very nice and his english was very good aswell. I am definitely recommending this tour. Our last stop was in the shop with the turkish delights downstairs and kebab upstairs, where they offered us free tea and sweets, everything tasted really good. Emre from the shop emphasized no one should feel forced to buy anything however I can def. recommend buying sth cause the taste was delicious. Thank you so much again for the good times.
Maria 27 Apr 2024
Milan

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Apr 2024
We had the pleasure of experiencing a guided tour in Istanbul led by an incredibly professional guide. His knowledge of the city was impressive, providing fascinating facts at every turn and interesting cultural insights. Not only did he showcase the iconic landmarks, but he also shared local recommendations that truly enriched the experience. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a comprehensive and memorable exploration of Istanbul and its cultural background!
Christoph 27 Apr 2024
Berlin

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Apr 2024
Very good tour. Definitely not the 08/15 tour. You‘ll get insights and views that you don’t get everywhere. Therefore 💯 recommend.
Eileen 26 Apr 2024

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Apr 2024
Thanks for giving us the possibility to see some unexpected places in Istanbul. And some information about the Turkish life and habits. Would like to do more tours :)
Tyler 23 Apr 2024
College Station

Verified booking
Travelled in couple - Apr 2024
We had such a wonderful time touring the lesser explored parts of Istanbul!
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Who is this tour for?

Accessibility
Non suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Groups
Does not accept large group reservations.
Pets
Not suitable for pets.

What should you know?

Minimum of attendees
A minimum of 5 people is required for the tour.
Additional costs:
The tour does not require the payment of entrance fees or additional expenses.
Free cancellation
If you will not be able to attend the tour, please cancel your booking, otherwise the guide will be waiting for you.
Payment methods
Only cash payment is accepted.
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