Skip the Line: Topkapi Palace Including Süleymaniye Mosque and Ceramics Workshop in Istanbul
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Skip the Line: Topkapi Palace Including Süleymaniye Mosque and Ceramics Workshop in Istanbul
Recommended for your Istanbul trip
Free Cancellation
up to 24 hours in advance
4 hours (Approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English and 1 more
Keeping you safe during COVID-19
What you can expect during your visit
Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas
Face masks provided for travelers
Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff
Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
More questions?
(888) 651-9785
Overview
Save time and skip the line on this small-group guided half-day Topkapi Palace Istanbul tour which includes a visit to Süleymaniye Mosque and a ceramics workshop. Jump ahead of the rest and step into Topkapi Palace to explore courtyards, treasures and rooms of artifacts. See where Ottoman sultans once assembled their harems and visit the Palace Harem (own expense). Then, marvel at the 16th-century Süleymaniye Mosque before you discover a workshop where master potters fire their elegant ceramic pieces. Small-group tours are limited to 15 guests to assure an intimate day with your guide.
- Get fast-track entry to Topkapi Palace and enjoy a guided tour
- Explore the opulent UNESCO-listed palace, home to Ottoman sultans for 400 years
- Admire the beautiful Süleymaniye Mosque, built in the 16th century
- Visit a ceramics workshop to watch skilled master potters create masterpieces from wet clay
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After you meet your local guide and small group close by Hagia Sophia, kick off your tour with a walk to Topkapi Palace. Arrive, skip the line, and head inside to see this old home of Ottoman sultans. As you walk around courtyards and small buildings, learn how this palace was the primary residence for sultans from the 15th to the 19th century.
Next, pass by elegant gates and pavilions as you make your way into beautiful chambers once roamed by as many as 4,000 people. Hear how Sultan Mehmed II commissioned Topkapi in 1453 as you admire antiques and rare artifacts of the Treasury. See the famous diamond-studded Topkapi Dagger, kingly gowns and lavish weaponry as your guide whispers lore of romance, royal luxuries, and executions that were once a regularity here.
At your own expense, you may visit the palace's Harem and discover the quarters of the sultan’s many wives, princes, and eunuchs.
Next, leave the palace and make your way to Süleymaniye Mosque, the biggest mosque in Istanbul. Dedicated to Sultan Süleyman I, this beautifully designed mosque was built by Ottoman architect Minar Sinan over eight years in the mid 16th century. Enjoy its regal architecture as you gaze up at its four elegant columns. Then, step inside and see the handsome interior designed with humbled worship in mind.
Continue to your last stop at a traditional workshop and see local artisans make ceramics. Witness fine craftsmen mold wet clay by hand on the kickwheel. Admire vases and other pieces as you hear about classic Ottoman techniques used to sculpt beautiful creations.
Finish your tour after you leave the shop and either continue to wander through the neighborhood at your leisure or return to your hotel.
Next, pass by elegant gates and pavilions as you make your way into beautiful chambers once roamed by as many as 4,000 people. Hear how Sultan Mehmed II commissioned Topkapi in 1453 as you admire antiques and rare artifacts of the Treasury. See the famous diamond-studded Topkapi Dagger, kingly gowns and lavish weaponry as your guide whispers lore of romance, royal luxuries, and executions that were once a regularity here.
At your own expense, you may visit the palace's Harem and discover the quarters of the sultan’s many wives, princes, and eunuchs.
Next, leave the palace and make your way to Süleymaniye Mosque, the biggest mosque in Istanbul. Dedicated to Sultan Süleyman I, this beautifully designed mosque was built by Ottoman architect Minar Sinan over eight years in the mid 16th century. Enjoy its regal architecture as you gaze up at its four elegant columns. Then, step inside and see the handsome interior designed with humbled worship in mind.
Continue to your last stop at a traditional workshop and see local artisans make ceramics. Witness fine craftsmen mold wet clay by hand on the kickwheel. Admire vases and other pieces as you hear about classic Ottoman techniques used to sculpt beautiful creations.
Finish your tour after you leave the shop and either continue to wander through the neighborhood at your leisure or return to your hotel.
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