“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee”John 17:21
For more than eleven centuries the Eastern Roman emperors ruled from this city; afterwards the Ottomans made it the centre of their empire. As early as 330 Constantine had dedicated his “New Rome” here. Anyone who explores Istanbul at leisure for a week encounters the history of the church at every turn – in council sites, imperial churches and the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
You stay all seven nights in the same hotel and explore a different chapter each day: Justinian's Hagia Sophia, Hagia Irene as the site of the Council of 381, the mosaics of the Chora Church with its famous Anastasis, the land walls of Theodosius and the Cathedral of St George in Fener. In addition there are Topkapı Palace, Sinan's mosques, the Princes' Islands and a private boat trip on the Bosphorus. In the Archaeological Museum, finds from the world of the Bible become tangible, insofar as they are on display.
Wherever possible, you get into conversation with Christians who live out their faith in Istanbul today. A state-licensed, English-speaking tour guide explains the connections in such a way that even guests without prior knowledge can follow easily.
In the Deësis mosaic in the gallery, John the Baptist stands beside Christ – the witness who points to the Lamb of God.
The Anastasis shows Christ pulling Adam and Eve from the grave – the image for this promise.
The Siloam Inscription comes from the water conduit that the Bible attributes to King Hezekiah – insofar as on display.
The warning stone from Herod's Temple forbade foreigners to enter the inner court – precisely the accusation made against Paul.
Tip: bring your own Bible – at each place we open the relevant passage together.
Bible quotations: King James Version.
Istanbul Airport → hotel
Your local tour guide awaits you at the airport and accompanies you to the hotel, which remains your fixed base for the whole week. At the welcome drink the guide outlines the coming days: from Greek Byzantion via Emperor Constantine's New Rome to the residence of the sultans. A word of blessing for the time together and the first dinner round off the day of arrival.
Hagia Sophia → Basilica Cistern → Hippodrome → Ibrahim Pasha Palace
For almost a thousand years there was no larger church in Christendom: Hagia Sophia, built for Emperor Justinian by the architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus in just five years (532–537), has been a mosque again since 2020. We visit it outside prayer times and climb up to the gallery with the Deësis mosaic. Then we descend into the Basilica Cistern with its 336 columns, cross the Hippodrome with the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpent Column and the German Fountain, and enter the palace of Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, today the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.
Topkapı Palace → Hagia Irene → Sultan Ahmed Mosque → Little Hagia Sophia
In the first courtyard of Topkapı Palace stands Hagia Irene, where the Second Ecumenical Council convened in 381 – one of the oldest churches in the city. In the palace, from which the sultans ruled for almost four centuries, you see the kitchens with Chinese porcelain, the audience hall, the treasury, the relic chamber and the pavilions above the Bosphorus. Then follow the Sultan Ahmed Mosque with its İznik tiles, the Little Hagia Sophia, built under Justinian as the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, and Sinan's Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque. Optional in the evening: a fish dinner on the Sea of Marmara.
Istanbul → Büyükada → Çamlıca → Üsküdar
By ferry you travel to Büyükada, the largest of the Princes' Islands, where emperors and princes were exiled in Byzantine times. Between wooden villas we make our way on foot and by electric vehicle to the Monastery of St George on Yücetepe; at midday there is time at the harbour. On the Asian side, Çamlıca Hill opens up a view over two continents, before we look across to Leander's Tower in Üsküdar, ancient Chrysopolis. From November to March a trip to Nicaea, where councils met in 325 and 787, replaces the island visit. Optional in the evening: a folklore evening.
Süleymaniye → Grand Bazaar → Spice Bazaar → Galata
On the third hill rises Sinan's masterpiece, the Süleymaniye Mosque, surrounded by charitable foundations and the tombs of Süleyman, Hürrem and the architect himself. Then you have free time in the Grand Bazaar, take a look into the tile-clad Rüstem Pasha Mosque and walk through the Spice Bazaar. Beyond the Golden Horn lies Galata, once a Genoese colony; with the historic tram we ride along İstiklal Street past the Church of St Anthony. If possible, we meet one of the Christian congregations. The evening is at your leisure.
Blachernae → Chora Church → Eyüp → Fener
For around a thousand years the triple land walls of Theodosius II held firm, until Constantinople fell at them in 1453. In the Blachernae quarter lies the spring of the Church of St Mary associated with the Akathist Hymn. The nearby Chora Church, a mosque again since 2024, preserves mosaics and frescoes donated by Theodore Metochites around 1315–1321, including the Anastasis. After a stop in Eyüp at the mosque by the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, we visit the Cathedral of St George in Fener, where the Ecumenical Patriarch has resided since 1601. Optional in the evening: a dinner of Ottoman cuisine.
Archaeological Museums → Bosphorus → Rumeli Hisarı
In the Archaeological Museum the Bible comes close: alongside the Alexander Sarcophagus and finds from Troy it shows, provided the pieces are on display, the inscription from the Siloam Tunnel in Jerusalem, the warning stone from Herod's Temple and the Treaty of Kadesh. In the afternoon the boat belongs to your group alone: past Dolmabahçe Palace, wooden waterfront villas and the fortress of Rumeli Hisarı of 1452, beneath the bridges, until the Black Sea comes into view. At the farewell evening, on the Bosphorus if you wish, we look back together.
Hotel → Istanbul Airport
Depending on your flight time, the transfer takes you to Istanbul airport. If you would like to extend the tour, you can add beach days on the Turkish Riviera or the Aegean. You take home impressions of Hagia Sophia, the Chora Church and the Bosphorus – and the memory of a city in which the history of the church remains visible in so many places.
The tour price depends on dates, group size and room allocation. You will receive your personal offer – free of charge and without obligation.
Enquire →⛔ No shopping stops: carpet, jewellery or leather showrooms are not part of this tour.
Yes. Both serve as mosques again today; your tour guide therefore schedules the visits between prayer times. Please wear clothing that covers shoulders and knees; women wear a headscarf.
No. Your tour guide explains vividly how Rome, Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire are connected – always with an eye on the history of the church.
No. You spend all seven nights in the same Istanbul hotel, from which every excursion starts.
Both are possible: as a church, home group or association group from 9 people, privately from just one person. As a contact office we put you in direct contact with our partners in Turkey.
We quote the price on request, as it depends on dates, group size and room allocation. You will receive a personal offer – free of charge and without obligation.
No, the flight is not included. On request we will enquire about suitable connections to Istanbul for you.
Experience Constantinople – Rome, Byzantium and the Ottomans in Istanbul
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