Vacation packages in Turkey

More attractions from Istanbul

By Seif Kamel

Istanbul is among the cities in the world, the same as Cairo, Madrid, and Athens, where a traveler coming to spend a marvelous vacation packages in Turkey, can never cover all the attractions in the city only in one visit.

The city of Istanbul has a rich long history with powerful dynasties coming in power and then declining and new empires taking their place. All these dynasties and rulers have left their marks in Istanbul, from the Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, and even ending with modern Turkey which had its own achievements as well.

Today we will shed some light on some of the less visited marvelous monuments of the city of Turkey.

Eyup Sultan Mosque

Mohamed the conqueror has built the original mosque here in 1458, five years after he conquered Istanbul to declare the rule of ottomans over the city, a governing that remained for more than four centuries.

The original mosque fell down into ruins with time passing by the mosque we see here today was built by Sultan Selim III in 1800.

The inner courtyard of the mosque is quite remarkable as it consists of two trees on a platform. This was where the Girding of the Sword of Othman took place as part of the king’s inauguration in the times of Mohamed the Conqueror.

The tomb of Sultan Eyup is located opposite to the mosque and it is said that he was murdered during the first Arab siege of Constantinople in the 7th century.

The tomb is an amazing piece of Ottoman architectural art and it was built in the same period as the mosque, at the end of the 18th century. Its interior design is rich with Turkish tiles and the ottoman style of Baroque decorations. Many travelers who spend a tour in Istanbul would come and visit this remarkable mausoleum.

The Pierre Loti Café

This famous café is situated at the top of the mountain at the Eyup Cemetery. An enjoyable walk offers the guests, coming from all over the world to spend their vacations in Turkey, wonderful views all over the Golden Horn from the café.

The café was named after a French Author, Julian Viaud, who was a naval officer as well and he was nicknamed Pierre. This French novelist used to come to the café quite often in the late 19th century.

Pierre has most probably fell in love with a Turkish married lady and wrote his famous historical novel, “Aziyade” where he described his affair with the lady and some of the history of Istanbul at the time as well.

The café has the theme of the 19th century and the decorations and outfits of the waiters reflect this theme quite fascinatingly. Many travelers, especially families spending their holidays in Istanbul would love to spend the afternoons enjoying the views in the café.

The Military Museum of Istanbul

This is one of the most notable museums of Istanbul that is quite recommended for any tourists spending their private tours in Turkey.

The military museum demonstrates the history of Turkey since the conquering of the city by the Ottomans in 1453 and until the modern battles of the country.
This building of the museum used to act as the military academy where Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, once studied from 1899 till 1905 and the classrooms where he took his classes have been preserved since that time. Many tourists who spend marvelous vacations in Turkey love to pay this museum a visit, especially children.

The museum was also where the Mehter Band used to perform in the 14th century in the reign of Sultan Othman I.  Most of the performers of the band were actually janissaries who used to escort the sultan in different wars and battles where they played their music to encourage the soldiers reciting the heroic acts of the forbears.

Among the most notable weapons exhibited in the museum are the daggers that soldiers used to keep near their legs in the 15th century. These daggers are decorated with flower and geometric motifs and some of them have silver ornaments as well.

There are also the 17th century armor heads for soldiers and horses, and ottoman shields made out of iron and cane. Many tourists going on trips to Turkey would like to explore many of the country’s remarkable museums.

Yildiz Park

This park was actually established as the garden of the very first Ciragan Palace and then afterwards it became the foundations of the Yildiz Palace in Istanbul.
The Palace is a collection of galleries, pavilions, and villas that were constructed in the 19th and 20th century and most of them were built during the period of Sultan Abdel Hamid II in the period from the year 1876 till the year 1909. The Sultan has left the Dolmabache Palace fearing a sea attack and resided in the Yildiz Palace.

The main building of the palace is the state apartments that date back to the ruling period of Sultan Selim III, from the year 1789 till 1807.

Nearby, another interesting museum is located. The city museum exhibits some of the finest ceramics of the Yildiz Palace. Many travelers organize their Turkey private tours to include many visits to several fabulous historical palaces in Istanbul.

Next to the City Museum, the Yildiz Palace Museum is located. The museum displays a collection of the palaces arts and crafts that were made during the reign of Sultan Abdel Hamid.

If the traveler walks further, he finds himself in front of the Yildiz Theatre which was constructed in 1889 by Sultan Abdel Hamid. Many travelers who spend their tours in Turkey love to explore the historical structures of Istanbul.

This theatre that serves now as a museum is decorated from inside mainly with the blue and golden colors. The main building has a marvelous dome that reflects the name of the complex, as Yildiz means the star in the Turkish language. The backstage area of the theatre now displays some of the historical outfits, costumes, and playbills.

In Yildiz Park, there are many other pavilions that date back to different periods of the 19th and the 20th centuries. Among these are the Sale Kosku built mainly by Sultan Abdel Hamid. However, historians assert that it was actually built in three stages. The first was by Sultan Abdel Hamid. Other sections were constructed in the ruling period of Sultan Abdel Aziz from 1861 till 1876.

The park with many trees and exotic shrubs is a wonderful place for picnics where many locals and travelers who spend their tours in Turkey enjoy their times.
Since the park is located on top of a hill, it is always advisable to take a taxi up the hill and then enjoy the walk downwards in the shades of the trees. Many private tours to Turkey can be organized to include visiting many great parks for the children to enjoy themselves.

Many of the structures of the Palace used to serve as many public facilities, even some of them served as prisons and now they serve as cafes.

In the year 1895, the Imperial Porcelain Factory has started its production here to fulfill the requirements of high class residents of the city. This theme stylized building was constructed to look like the castle of Europe located on the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul. Many travelers going on escorted tours to Turkey admire the beauty of the Turkish tiles and ceramics.

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