Private Istanbul Highlights and Hidden Gems

Topkapi Palace
Built by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, Topkapi Palace served as a home to Ottoman sultans until the 19th century, the reign of Abdulmecid I for a period of nearly four centuries. It was used as a royal residence between 1478 and 1853 and it has been used as a museum since 1924.

Istanbul Archaeology Museum
Sultan Abdulaziz of the Ottoman Empire was impressed with the archaeological museums that were located in Paris, Vienna and London that he had visited in 1867 and he commissioned a similar museum to be established in Istanbul as well.

Theodosius Cistern
Theodosius Cistern’s name is “Şerefiye Sarnıcı” in Turkish. This cistern is one of the few underground cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul. Built by the Roman Emperor Theodosius in the 5th century to store water. There are 9-meter-tall marble columns in this beautiful cistern.

The Milion 
Also called “the million stone”, The Milion was a monument erected in the 4th century in Constantinople. It served as the Byzantine zero-mile marker: the beginning point of the calculation of distances for the roads leading to the cities of the Byzantine Empire.

The Hidden Inns of Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar is a very large closed market space that has many incredible stores for shopping for souvenirs! Get to explore the hidden inns of the large bazaar!