Asian Istanbul

We will take a morning ferry from the Eminonu area to cross to the Asian side. We will disembark at Uskudar, or Scutari with its ancient name. It was originally founded in the 7th century BCE, by the ancient Greek colonists Megarians. Because of its location across from Constantinople, it was a natural target for anyone aiming at the capital. In the 8th century CE it was taken by a small band of Arabs who caused considerable destruction, and panic in Constantinople, before withdrawing. After a long reign of the Byzantines, the Ottoman leader Orhan Gazi took Uskudar in 1338, giving the Ottomans a base within sight of Constantinople for the first time. Uskudar is one of Istanbul’s oldest established residential areas. Just as is today, it has always been a popular place to live down by the cool waters of Marmara and Bosphorus, along by the coast of Uskudar. We will visit the one of the most beautiful Ottoman mosques from the classical age, the 16th century Mihrimah Sultan Mosque. The mosque was dedicated by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent to his daughter Mihrimah Sultan. It was designed by the greatest Ottoman architect of all times, Architect Sinan. After visiting the spectacular complex, we will catch a public boat ride to Kadikoy, another popular area on the Asian side. We will have a lunch at a special restaurant with traditional Anatolian tastes. Then we will walk in the streets of Kadikoy. This is in fact the first settlement that the Greeks from Megara established on the Marmara sea coast in the 6th century BCE, which was then known as Chalcedon, the land of the blind. Chalcedon changed hands time and time again, as Persians, Bithynians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, and Turks passed through the area, which was severely damaged during the Fourth Crusade, then came into Ottoman hands in 1353. At the time of the conquest, Chalcedon was a rural settlement outside the protection of the city. It was soon put under the jurisdiction of the Constantinople courts, hence the name Kadikoy, which means “Village of the Judge”. In the Ottoman period, Kadikoy became a popular market for agricultural goods and in time developed into a residential area for people who would commute to the city by boat. The population was the typical Ottoman Constantinople mix of Armenians, Greeks, Jews and Turks. Today, it is one of the popular spots being a main connecting spot between the Asian and European sides. After walking through the streets of the town and see some farmer’s markets, fish sellers, homemade product stores and antique galleries, we will return to Old town by a public boat ride. End of our tour. Return to hotel.