4th World Mayors' Summit

İstanbul, more particularly the Bosphorus, is the meeting point of the continents, as well as the meeting point of different cultures. Thus, a tour will be arranged in order to take a better look at the Bosphorus and the unique beauties nestling along its shores. The guests will be taken from their hotels and will board a boat at Kabataş. A slow paced cruise, enriched by the guidelines of the tour guide, will take the guests to Dolmabahce Mosque, Dolmabahçe Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, the Esma Sultan Residence, Çengelköy, Vaniköy, the waterside residences of Kandilli, the Küçüksu Pavilion, Anadolu Hisarı, Kanlıca, Çubuklu and Beykoz, before reaching Anadolu Kavağı. The boat will return along the European side, cruising by Sarıyer, Büyükdere, Tarabya, Yeniköy, İstinye, the waterside residences of Emirgan, Rumeli Hisarı, Bebek, Arnavutköy and Kuruçeşme. Arriving at Beylerbeyi, the guests will disembark and be taken by bus to Çamlıca Hill, the highest point in İstanbul, where tea will be served. After the tea break, the guests will be taken by bus back to their hotels, crossing over the Bosphorus Bridge.

The tour will start from the hotels for Cibali. After visiting Gül Mosque (formerly the Haghia Theodosia Church), Küçük Mustafa Paşa Turkish bath, Haghia Nicola Greek Orthodox Church and Aya Kapı; the next stop will be Fener. The first stop there is the Fener Patriarchate, which will be followed by a visit to Haghia Yorgi Church which was built as a monastery in the 16^th century. The Mother Mary Greek Orthodox Church, built in the 18^th century in the form of a basilica will come next. The Dimitri Kantemir House, whose owner Kantemir wrote systematic and academic texts on Ottoman history and Turkish Classical Music, will follow. The Ayios Yeoryios Church is located within its garden. A visit to Ayios Yeoryios Jerusalem Metakhion Church and to Ulah Palace will follow the visit to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church of St. Stefan, a church owned by the Bulgarian minority and the architecture of which is rich with neo-gothic and neo-baroque elements. Guests will then be returned to their hotels.

İstanbul, the third and the last capital city of the Ottoman Empire, served as the capital between 1453 and 1923, which is reflected in the large variety of Ottoman architecture. The tour starts from the hotel and the first visit will be Kılıç Ali Paşa Mosque built by Mimar ( meaning “Architect”) Sinan in 1580 ,followed by a drive over the Galata Bridge to visit another masterpiece of the Ottoman Period, again built by Mimar Sinan. Rüstem Paşa Mosque in the Eminönü area is known as the Mosque with the finest 16^th century tiles. Our next stop will be Edirnekapı to visit Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, also built by Sinan for Sultan Süleyman the Magnificient’s beloved daughter and her husband. After visiting the Mosque, the tour continues to The Mosque of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificient built by Sinan in the 16^th century, where guests can visit the mosque and the tomb of Süleyman the Magnificent. Lunch will be at Darüzziyafe Restaurant. After lunch, the first visit will be Sultan Ahmet Mosque, dating from the 16^th century and also known as Blue Mosque. It is world famous for its blue İznik tiles and six minarets. Our tour continues to İbrahim Paşa Palace, once owned by İbrahım Paşa, the Grand Vizier of Süleyman I, and now one of İstanbul’s greatest museums, the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum. After visiting the museum we will walk through the Hippodrome, which dates back to the Byzantine Empire, and was also used by the Ottomans for celebrations. Here we can see the Obelisk of Theodosıus, the Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. The tour will continue to the Grand Bazaar, one of the biggest and most appealing bazaars in the world with 4000 shops famous for carpets, leathers and jewelry.

The guests will be taken to Cağaloglu Hamamı. This Turkish bath was built by Sultan Mahmut I in 1741 and it is the oldest one in İstanbul. We can easily see the principal remains of the main dome, the pool with the fountain and also the pillars which still carry the traditional work of the 18^th century. The bath was visited by world famous people such as King Edward of Britain, Franz List, Florence Nightingale, Rockfeller and many others. The bath has two sections, serving men and women, and has been used in scenes for movies such as Indiana Jones.

Miniatürk Cultural Park, where models of architectural masterpieces representing the Anatolian and Ottoman civilizations are exhibited, offers a historical visit to Turkey in one compact area.

Models of more than 100 historical works, including the Library of Celsus at Ephesus, the Malabadi Bridge, Bursa's Ulu Mosque, the Tomb of Mevlana, Mescid-i Aksa, the Church of St. Antoine, the Ottoman galley Bastarda (circa 1657), Atatürk's boat, the Yerebatan Cistern, Mardin stone houses, Cappadocian Peri bacaları (fairy chimneys), Atatürk's mausoleum, Aspendos, Hagia Sophia and the Maiden's Tower can all be seen in one single place. Visitors enter Miniatürk after viewing a 43- meter-long replica of the Bosphorus Bridge, spanning an artificial lake.

The Golden Horn is a natural harbor, dividing the European side of İstanbul into two, and takes its name from the once fertile lands surrounding it, its rich fishing resources, freshwater brooks and natural form. The tour will start from Balat, the historical district of the Golden Horn, where the mosques and the churches, the synagogues and the holy springs of Orthodox Greeks have stood alongside one another for centuries. After a trip to Surp Hıreşdegabet (the Armenian Gregorian Church) and Ferruh Kethuda Mosque (built in 1562-1563 by the Great Architect Sinan), we will visit Ayvansaray, to view the overland ramparts of İstanbul, once the fortifications of Constantinolpe. Next, descending to Golden Horn through Tekfur Palace, we reach the sea ramparts. The tour will follow a route from Küçük Mustafa Paşa Mosque (an ancient Byzantine church) to the holy springs and church of Blaherne -originally built by Empress Pulcheria-, to Ivaz Efendi Mosque, the Anemas Dungeons, the Ramparts of Leon and finally to the Small Mosque of Toklu Dede (also an ancient Byzantine church).

Founded in the 7^th century B.C. by the legendary tribe leader Byzas of Megara as a Greek colony, İstanbul served as the capital city of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire for over 2000 years. The tour, arranged to introduce the guests to the ancient times of the city, will start at Altın Kapı, Yedikule and enter the city encircled by ramparts, through the Edirne Gate, constructed within the Theodosian city walls. After a visit to St. Savior Chora Museum, the mosaics and frescos of which are the finest examples of their kind, guests will be driven through the Roman ceremonial walkway Meşe (known as Divan Yolu during the Ottoman era), pass by Valens Aquaduct and reach the historical Hippodrome, where Roman and Byzantine structures are found. The principal stops of the tour are: the Pantocrator Church, also known as Zeyrek Mosque, which was built in the 12^th century; Divan Yolu, starting from Topkapı Palace and leading to the city doors; Forum Tauri, today known as Bayezit Square; the Pillar of Constantine, which lies on the southern side of the Grand Bazaar; Yerebatan and Binbirdirek Cisterns; and the museum of Hagia Sophia, which is among the world’s most magnificent architectural achievements, located at the north end of the Hippodrome. The lunch for this tour will be served either at Asitane or at Zeyrek Restaurant.

Miniatürk Cultural Park, where models of architectural masterpieces representing the Anatolian and Ottoman civilizations are exhibited, offers a historical visit to Turkey in one compact area.

Models of more than 100 historical works, including the Library of Celsus at Ephesus, the Malabadi Bridge, Bursa's Ulu Mosque, the Tomb of Mevlana, Mescid-i Aksa, the Church of St. Antoine, the Ottoman galley Bastarda (circa 1657), Atatürk's boat, the Yerebatan Cistern, Mardin stone houses, Cappadocian Peri bacaları (fairy chimneys), Atatürk's mausoleum, Aspendos, Hagia Sophia and the Maiden's Tower can all be seen in one single place. Visitors enter Miniaturk after viewing a 43- meter-long replica of the Bosphorus Bridge, spanning an artificial lake.