23 March 2009
The Good Guide to Istanbul
Walks in Istanbul Guided Tours
Customisation can sometimes go miserably wrong, as proven by Aretha Franklin‘s inauguration ‘hat’ trick.
For evidence to the contrary, meet the professional guide Arzu-the master-of customised-holidays-Tutuk and her Walks in Istanbul tours.
Poke with Arzu around forgotten corners of the hauntingly beautiful Golden Horn; and make some chilling ‘finds’ on cobbled streets (like a Greek Orthodox patriarchate housing a column believed to have been used for the binding and flogging of Jesus in Jerusalem), where the mixtures of Armenians, Greeks, Gypsies and Turks have been living for centuries.
Or discover a magnificent neo-gothic doll’s house place of a church-St.Stephens-round the corner from the cascading domes and slender minarets of the Imperial Suleymaniye Mosque dominating the skyline, a perfect juxtapositioning of new and old architecture.
End it with a romantic boat trip at sunset along the shores of Golden Horn a la the very rich and the noble in Ottoman times, gazing at the tulip gardens and green parks.
There are other routes to follow as well: The Jewish Heritage, The Byzantine and Ottoman Istanbul, and even something intriguing like Kayaking on the Bosphorus. Kiddies aren’t forgotten, either: they’re taken to a museum dedicated entirely on toys, or (depending on the variety of interest) planes and cars.
Best of all, Arzu’s happy to customise iteneraries according to your needs and tastes, maybe even create a Turkish cuisine trail for the seasoned foodie, etc.
After all, nothing is written on stone, right?
Visit walksinistanbul.com for details and to reach Arzu Tutuk.
For evidence to the contrary, meet the professional guide Arzu-the master-of customised-holidays-Tutuk and her Walks in Istanbul tours.
Poke with Arzu around forgotten corners of the hauntingly beautiful Golden Horn; and make some chilling ‘finds’ on cobbled streets (like a Greek Orthodox patriarchate housing a column believed to have been used for the binding and flogging of Jesus in Jerusalem), where the mixtures of Armenians, Greeks, Gypsies and Turks have been living for centuries.
Or discover a magnificent neo-gothic doll’s house place of a church-St.Stephens-round the corner from the cascading domes and slender minarets of the Imperial Suleymaniye Mosque dominating the skyline, a perfect juxtapositioning of new and old architecture.
End it with a romantic boat trip at sunset along the shores of Golden Horn a la the very rich and the noble in Ottoman times, gazing at the tulip gardens and green parks.
There are other routes to follow as well: The Jewish Heritage, The Byzantine and Ottoman Istanbul, and even something intriguing like Kayaking on the Bosphorus. Kiddies aren’t forgotten, either: they’re taken to a museum dedicated entirely on toys, or (depending on the variety of interest) planes and cars.
Best of all, Arzu’s happy to customise iteneraries according to your needs and tastes, maybe even create a Turkish cuisine trail for the seasoned foodie, etc.
After all, nothing is written on stone, right?
Visit walksinistanbul.com for details and to reach Arzu Tutuk.
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