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We visited Istanbul with the Touristanbul programme. We had a long layover at Istanbul Aiport, and we got a tour from Turkish Airlines (on the website of the airline, you can see already when looking for the tickets, which tickets include a tour).
The Topkapı Palace was the Ottoman sultans' palace for centuries. The road is lined with enormous thuja trees, they perhaps were planted during the Ottoman Empire (by 1856, the monarchs used an another palace).
We also saw the changing of the guard. The honor guard reminiscent of the janissaries marched with a huge drumbeat, it had the atmosphere as if the sultans had returned to Istanbul. The conductor was the best, who controlled the music with small movements with a half-moon ended stick.
In the palace, we visited the ambassadors' hall, the kitchen and the library room. Interesting facts about the palace: when a sultan ascended the throne, the head chef mixed new halva; the sultans ate from Chinese porcelain bowls, they believed that the blue dye on porcelain neutralized poisons.
We got five minutes for visiting the Hagia Sophia. A few years ago, Hagia Sophia was formed into a mosque, the floor is carpeted, shoes must be taken off before stepping on the carpet, headscarves are mandatory for girls from the age of 12. The building is immense, lit by lots of lights, the frescoes, chandeliers and ceiling are wonderful.
