“JEWELS OF CONSTANTINOPLE” Breakfast: Explore the city's historic center, where you can see the variety of vestiges of the different empires that shaped modern-day Istanbul: the Roman Hippodrome, the center of Constantinople's social life for thousands of years; the Blue Mosque, with its more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles imported from Iznik; and visit the Basilica Cistern, which features more than 300 marble columns rising above the water. Then, we'll have a panoramic visit to Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia (entrance fees not included). We'll end our tour at the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, where haggling is a tradition. Return to the hotel.