Private Tour Guide in Istanbul

Throughout history, the sword, considered to be the symbol of heroism, was regarded as the sign of power by the Ottoman sultans and considered sacred as a representative of justice and peace. Among the Ottoman palace traditions, sword girding had an important place in the enthronement ceremony. This ceremony symbolizes the sovereignty of the ruler like the coronation ceremony of the Western kings. The "Sword Regiment" ceremony which was Initiated by Sultan Murad I, became a tradition and later sword girding was practiced in the enthronement of all the new sultans. In this ceremony, which took place within a certain order and protocol, the sword that belonged to one of the Four Caliphs or one of the sultans, such as Fatih Sultan Mehmed was girded on the new ruler. The sword regiments were generally performed in the presence of the palace officials and public during the first week follow- ing the new sultan's ascension to the throne. Following the morning prayer on the appo...

In the Byzantine Period, the entrance of the Golden Horn was closed against unwanted ships by connecting a chain between Kastellion Tower in the direction of Galata and Eugenios Tower in the direction of Sirkeci in order to ensure the port security of the Golden Horn and to prevent the invasion of the city by foreigners. During the conquest of Istanbul, due to the obstacle created by this chain, Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror drove the Ottoman warships over land into the Golden Horn. The Golden Horn chain has been preserved as a symbol of the Ottoman Empire's victory and urban identity after the conquest and has preserved its importance until today. The chain is made by combining links with different forms made of wrought iron. The piece in our museum is 10.72 m in length and 425 kg in weigh and consists of 23 links. Other parts of the same chain of different sizes are located in the Istanbul Naval Museum, the Harbiye Military Museum and the Rumeli Hisarlar Museum.

GLORY, HONOUR AND REWARD Until the end of the 18th century, tughra functioned as the signature of sultans, the symbol of the Ottoman dynasty and the Ottoman coat of arms. In the nineteenth century, crescent, flag, order and medals were used as symbols of the state coat of arms. The Ottoman Coat of Arms, differed in each sultan's period and during the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II reached its most advanced form which reflect the grand state image. Nişan-i İftihar (Order of Pride) and Nişan-1 Mecidi (Order of Glory) were created during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid. Nişan-1 Osmani (Order of the Ottoman), was created upon the order of Sultan Abdülaziz and it was given as an indicator of praise and privilege to people who showed superior success at state service. Şefkat Nişanı (Order of Compassion), was created by Sultan Abdülhamid Il in 1878 and was given to women working for the benefits of the state, homeland and nation in natural disasters such as earthquake, fire and flood and a...

  The history of simit dates back to 600 years ago. Simit emerged in the 14th century in the Ottoman Empire. It has succeeded to take its place in the sultan's tables and in the palace kitchen. In the last part of the work called Tufet-I Mubariz, Physician Bereket talked about the types of food and also mentioned bagels in the pastry section. The workers working in the bakeries belonging to the Sekban Class in the Ottoman Empire are called simit makers. Evliya Çelebi's travel book states that there are about 70 simit bakeries in Istanbul. On June 10, 1910, simit makers established an association with the name "Simitçiler, Ekmekçi, and Börekçiler". During World War II, simit making was banned for a while due to the lack of flour. After this ban, which did not last long, flour production was normalized and simit making was released. Today, simit is not produced in any country other than Turkey.

  ENG The answer to this question is of course up to you. For how many days are you coming to visit Istanbul? What kind of trips do you like most? History, art, nature, nightlife etc. But it is useful to allocate at least 3 days for your Istanbul trip. I have great news for you! Every time you come to Istanbul, you can see different places. Because this city is really big and has fascinating beauties… Your travel list may vary according to your budget and interests. If you want to create your own travel plan, you can contact me.   ESP La respuesta a esta pregunta, por supuesto, depende de usted. ¿Cuántos días vienes a visitar Estambul? ¿Qué tipo de viajes te gustan más? Historia, arte, naturaleza, vida nocturna, etc. Pero es útil reservar al menos 3 días para tu viaje a Estambul. ¡Tengo excelentes noticias para ti! Cada vez que vienes a Estambul, puedes ver diferentes lugares. Porque esta ciudad es realmente grande y tiene bellezas fascinantes… Tu lista de viaj...

  ENG Istanbul is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In terms of population, Turkey’s largest city is Istanbul. Istanbul contains so many districts that we can call it a “city within a city”. Traveling in such a big and busy city can be difficult as well as enjoyable.   Although we use cars for transportation in some special cases in Istanbul, I can say that we generally use public transportation vehicles. We love and support ecological travel ! For this reason, we primarily prefer public transportation when traveling in Istanbul to reduce our carbon footprint. So you can travel more respectfully to nature, while at the same time better experience local life by using public transport. Istanbul has a really good metro line. Thus, it is possible to visit Istanbul more easily without being caught in the traffic of this huge city! Of course, this is not your only option. If you want, you can choose a bike that will be good for you and your health...

  ENG Hi everyone!   First of all thank you for your visit. My name is Dilek, my husband Cuauhtemoc and I are national-licensed tour guides. We are a Mexican-Turkish family. We live in Istanbul, Turkey’s most popular city, with our 2 kids.   I have been guiding for 12 years. I have knowledge of Turkish history, mythology, archeology, religious history and art history. Following my university graduation, I lived in England for 5 years where I continued my education studying Travel and Tourism at Greenwich School of Management. After I lived a short time in Guatemala, Cuba to learn Spanish.   In our tours that have the option English&Spanish we would like to show you architectural styles, historical fun facts, famous historical monuments, tell you about the peoples life in Istanbul, how we spend our days, where do people go to eat, what we eat, where we shop, what we listen, the best places to eat, drink and party. If you need any other travel arran...

  The Independence Exhibition, which describes the struggle of the Turkish nation with nearly a thousand documents, photographs, films and objects, was prepared by making use of many domestic and foreign archives and collections. In addition to written documents such as military objects, diaries, notes, maps prepared during the war, and front orders of command echelons, there are many photographs and video footage of the period. Texts are supported by screens and projections. The exhibition, which will remain open until September 9, 2022 at the Izmir International Fair, can be visited free of charge between 11:00 and 20:30. 

  The head of one of the 3 snakes of the serpent column in Sultanahmet Hippodrome has been exhibited in the Istanbul Archeology Museum for years. The other 2 heads have been missing for years. 31 Greek cities that defeated the Persians in the Battle of Platea in 479 BC had this work built by melting the bronze loot they obtained in the war and erected it in front of the temple of Apollo in Delphi. The three-headed snake was last seen in 1699. The column was brought to Constantinapolis by Constantine the Great in the 4th century AD. One of the lost snake heads was found by the architect Fossati in 1848 and has been on display at the Istanbul Archeology Museum for years.

  An Italian named Comasgi prepared for his first flight on the İbrahimağa Meadow after obtaining the necessary permissions on 10 June 1884. When the clocks showed 10, Comasgi took off. The wind dragged him towards Yalova. He wanted to get off in Pazarköy, but he couldn't. Finally, he was able to land at Demircideresi location. It announced that it will make its second flight in Taksim. It took off from Taksim Square at 11 am on the third day of the Eid al-Fitr. After flying a little over Istanbul, he landed safely in Sefaköy. Comasgi made its third flight at the wedding of the Sultan's sister, Adile Sultan. A strong wind was blowing that day. Despite the wind, Comasgi took off, first circling over Istanbul for an hour. Then the wind swept him south and he disappeared. He was never heard from again.

  Known as "saloop" in England, this drink was prepared by adding water to salep powder in the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, salep is prepared with hot milk. Instead of drinks such as wine and kumiss, which were banned in the past, Turkish society preferred to consume "sher" in summer, "boza" and "salep" in winter. In ancient times, salep was sold in jars on the streets in winter in Turkey, and served in large porcelain cups. During the Ottoman Empire, salep was added to the sultan's strength paste in addition to a thousand and one spices. Salep is also the ingredient that gives Maraş ice cream its famous hardness.

  Popularly known as the "Grand Bazaar", it was the heart of Istanbul's commercial life during the Ottoman Period. Bedestens, which were originally built for cloth shopping, have become bazaars where valuable goods are bought and sold, and are locked up at night and protected by guards. These structures, known today as Cevahir Bedesten and Sandal Bedesten, were built during the Second World War. It was built by Mehmed as a foundation right after the conquest of Istanbul. A restaurant of the world-famous Nusret is also located here. Although the restaurant, which also has historical buildings, is crowded every hour of the day, the service times are very fast. You can also experience the famous Nusret restaurant on my tours. Check out the video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CbLAZKqj7k8/

Notre Dame du Rosaire Church, built in the 19th century, is located in Istanbul-Kadıköy. Yeldeğirmeni district in Kadıköy is "Istanbul's first apartment district". The building is located here. The building is in the 2nd-degree historical monument class. The church, which was sold to Kadıköy Municipality by the priest in 2010, is used as an art center today. In the coming days, there will be a Franz Schubert-Winterreise concert on Wednesday, March 16 at 20:00. Check out the video: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca7jWXejmmY/

  There is a height difference of 58 meters between the two neighborhoods. In the past, transportation between these two neighborhoods was only provided by stairs. The Muslims called this 155-step staircase the "Karataş Staircase" and the Jews called it the "Devidas Ladder". One day, the head of the Devidas Family fell and broke his foot while walking on the stairs. Later, Nesim Levi Bayrakoğlu, one of his close friends who learned about the incident, had the Historical Elevator built to facilitate transportation between the two neighborhoods. Checkout the video:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CW_OWdsjNmj/

  El 18 de enero de 1931, los carretes de película se incendiaron en la empresa de importación de películas de Yorgi Istelyos en Agopian Han y se produjo un gran incendio. El incendio estalló mientras el hermano de Yorgi Istelyos, la película de Emil El hombre enmascarado, había alquilado dos habitaciones en la posada. 7 personas murieron y 8 resultaron heridas. En Estambul, que tiene una población de 600.000 habitantes, se han hecho muchas noticias sobre el evento que tuvo un gran impacto durante su época. Primero conocida como Baltazzi Han y luego Agobyan Han, la posada fue utilizada por Deutsche Orientbank durante los años de guerra. Banca Commerciale Italiana continuó sus actividades en Han entre 1930-76. Akbank se trasladó al edificio en 1978 y lo compró en 1990. El edificio, que hoy se utiliza como The Galata Istanbul Hotel, contiene la caja fuerte de los años que se utilizó como banco. Check out the video:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CXwLjC7DmKh/

Which was built by the world-famous Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan between 1551 and 1558 by the order of the Ottoman sultan of the time, Suleiman the Magnificent, is an architectural masterpiece.   Check out the video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWYc1ZUjPTS/

  The traditional layout and spatial analysis of Turkish baths were applied in the building, which was designed as a double bath, one serving men and the other serving women, and sitting on an area of approximately 1.265 m2 on an area of 2000 m2. In both sections, the cold/undress/window-warmth-temperature/private rooms follow each other. The cold rooms with a square plan are covered with a single dome, and the coldness of the men's section is the most striking part of the bath in terms of space effect.  Check out the video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWTZxHNjwlc/

  Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Üsküdar Although the truth is not certain, The mathematical genius Sinan also kept a secret in the mosques located in the two complexes he built for Mihrimah. As a dedication to Mihrimah Sultan's name meaning Sun and Moon, only a few days of the year (in April and May) the sun sets from the back of one mosque and the moon rises from the other mosque. Check out the video:  https://www.instagram.com/p/CVlFcqij3Mv/  

  ''Rumeli Hisarı'' has the best restaurants to have breakfast in Istanbul. I recommend you to enjoy a real Turkish breakfast while watching Istanbul at this point where Asia and Europe meet with the magnificent Bosphorus view. The Fortress was built in a short period of four months. By Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 before the conquest of Istanbul in order to prevent attacks and block aids from the north of Bosphorus. This monument is located opposite the Anadolu Fortress, built by Sultan I. Beyazıt in 1394, and is located in the narrowest part of the Bosphorus. Check out the video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVOFsGUjqhT/

"Turkish Breakfast" the world's healthiest breakfast, contains rich protein and as known as the Mediterranean diet with olive oil and vegetables, which is accepted the healthiest diet in the world. We had a breakfast at Caferağa Madrasah, which is hidden among the crowded and hectic streets of Istanbul. Our host cat also accompained us. Although tourists only dream of eating kebab in a crowded metropolis like Sultanahmet Square, we can eat the food we cook in our homes in this hidden beauty in a quiet and calm way, avoiding all the crowds. The Caferağa Madrasa is a former medrese, located in Istanbul, Turkey, next to the Hagia Sophia. It was built in 1559 by Mimar Sinan on the orders of Cafer Ağa, during the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566). check out the video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVKs6TYjxqV/

  The place of wine in Anatolian lands has a history of thousands of years. Geographically, Turkey is one of the most suitable countries for wine production. Grapes are gushing out of all but 2 of the 7 regions in Turkey. According to the 2010 data of the International Food Organization (FAO), Turkey ranks fourth after France, Italy and Spain in terms of vineyard areas. However, only 2.5-3 percent of these grapes produced are used in winemaking. However, with the establishment of many wine factories in our country in recent years, wine consumption has increased at the same level. Wine exports have increased in recent years. This gives hope for the future of winemaking in Turkey.   Papazkarası, Gamay, Cinsault and Semillon are among the most produced grape varieties in the Marmara region. Especially in Şarköy and Mürefte, consumption of grapes and wine is quite common. Many wineries are located in these locations. In Çanakkale and Bozcaada, grapes called Vasilaki are used t...

  "Turkish Coffee", which emerged as a result of the methods applied during the roasting, grinding, preparation and serving of the coffee bean as a beverage, has its unique aroma, grounds, foam, presentation, role in official special days and meetings, and its place in social life from the 16th century to the present day. reached so far. As in the past, coffee is served in official and private ceremonies, and culture and tradition continue in private living spaces, cafes and coffee houses. Turkish Coffee Culture and Tradition was registered on behalf of our country on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative List of Humanity on 5 December 2013.       Coffee at Saray From the second half of the 17th century, coffee began to be purchased from the kitchen budget in the palace. It is understood that coffee is one of the most common and daily consumed basic beverages from the documents containing the expenditures of the food purchases made to the p...

  Vintage clothes are the pieces that always maintain their popularity from the past to the present, can adapt to every place and time, and can be used in places such as daily life, weddings, concerts. The vintage culture in Istanbul is a strong culture that can survive for years. The vintage stores, which have been located in districts such as Beyoğlu and Taksim for years, continue to serve their customers.   1) By Retro By Retro is located inside the Syrian Passage on the way from Istiklal Caddesi to Tünel. The clothes of many TV series and movies about old times are also available in this store. By Retro started to introduce itself with the popularity of old-time series. Especially customers who want to buy the clothes used by the actors in the TV series visit this store.   2) Pied de Poule Located in Çukurcuma, this store has made a name for itself in Turkish television broadcasts. This store, which is especially known for its hat collection, is worth seei...