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Exploring the Ancient Gems of Istanbul

One of our team members experienced a wonderful FAM trip to Istanbul courtesy of Turkish Airlines, checking out some of the city’s best hotels and top sights.

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Exploring the Ancient Gems of Istanbul

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  1. Exploring the Ancient Gems of Istanbul One of our team members experienced a wonderful FAM trip to Istanbul courtesy of Turkish Airlines, checking out some of the city’s best hotels and top sights. We set off on our exciting journey to Istanbul from Heathrow Terminal 2 in the afternoon and spent some time in the Turkish Airlines Premium lounge where we indulged in some delicious snacks and coffee. The Premium lounge was very pleasant and comfortable, and it’s located very close to the departure gates which was nice and convenient. We travelled in the Economy cabin aboard the Airbus 330-300 series and enjoyed a very comfortable and quiet flight. It was a 3hr 45 mins journey which went by very quickly due to the variety of excellent inflight entertainment options and great on-board food and service. Thank you Turkish Airlines! After arriving at Istanbul in the evening, we met some other agents who were joining the trip from our Birmingham and Manchester offices. We headed for check-in to the Pullman Istanbul Airport and convention Centre hotel. This 5 star property is located just a 10 minute drive from the airport, offering a great central location with easy access to the main city areas. Everybody stayed in an individual deluxe room which was of course very blissful! The hotel has an extensive range of excellent facilities and amenities, including free Wi-Fi, two restaurants and two bars, a spa and fitness centre and an indoor swimming pool.

  2. After a very delicious continental breakfast at our hotel, we headed for a walking tour of Istanbul’s Old City. The roman Hippodrome and the impressive Blue Mosque are highlights of this charming walk; both of these ancient sites are absolutely stunning. We also visited the world famous Grand Bazaar, which was built back in 1420. This is such gigantic market place selling all sorts of traditional goods, including household items, antiques, clothes and vintage crockery. This Old City tour was really fascinating. After some free time at the bazaar we met our guide and enjoyed dinner at the Sultanahmet Koftecisi Restaurant, which is popular for serving mouth-watering Turkish kebabs and kafta dishes. We would definitely recommend this traditional restaurant.

  3. Day 3 This day consisted of some more fantastic sightseeing. During the 30 minute drive from our hotel to the sights, our guide told us all about the rich history of Istanbul. We arrived to the Ayasofya Museum Hagia Sophia, which is a former Greek Orthodox cathedral that now operates as a museum. Constructed at the beginning of the Middle Ages, the iconic museum is famous in particular for its gigantic dome. After discovering this ancient wonder we drove to the Eyup district on the outskirts of the city for a visit to the Mosque of Ayyub al Ansari. This tomb belongs to Abu Ayyub Ansari and outside is a stunning courtyard with a large mosque known as the Eyüp Sultan. Day 4 We attended a meeting and presentation of Istanbul Walks and the ‘Ramadan in Istanbul Project ‘at the conference hall of our hotel which was really interesting and enlightening. Following the meeting, we were keen to do some more city sightseeing. We arrived to the Topkapi Palace Museum and afterwards had some lunch at the Konyali Restaurant which is located inside the museum, offering a spectacular view of the Bosphorus Strait. After lunch we boarded a private boat for a 90 minute cruise touring the Bosphorus. A cruise on the Bosphorus is such as special Istanbul tourist attraction with an abundance of historical sightseeing spots. We disembarked at the Pier of Uskudar followed by a short walk to the impressive Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, which was built in the 16th century.

  4. This familiarisation trip was both educative and fun, and the tours were conducted fantastically by one of Turkish Airlines’ representatives and a local tour guide who collaborated well together. We’re very much thankful for having this opportunity to explore such a charming historical city. We 100% recommend a trip to Istanbul and look forward to helping you plan your next getaway.

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