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Home > Cruises > All our cruises > Athens - Istanbul > Pre & Post Cruise Programme
| Pre-Programme : Panoramic tour and transfer to the pier in Piraeus |
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| July 30, 2012 |
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Price per person: €40
Athens
Meet and greet at the airport, outside arrivals area Hall B - Airport Information Desk No 6, at 2:45pm. Look for Compagnie du Ponant sign. Panoramic tour of Athens en route to the pier. Embarkation.
Rate includes :
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| Post-Programme - Istanbul: Byzantium Splendour |
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| August 6, 2012 |
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Price per person: €85
Istanbul
After disembarkation procedures have been completed, leave the port for a visit to the Chora Church. This beautiful site contains the oldest and best preserved mosaics in Turkey, and is one of the most remarkable of the Byzantine monuments to survive in Istanbul today. Although it is hailed as an example of the Byzantine capital’s last golden age before it fell, the Chora Church is one of the oldest in the city. It was later converted into a mosque. The frescoes and mosaics on a gold background date back to the Byzantine Renaissance (14th century). You are then at leisure to explore the Spice Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, which is the oldest covered market in Istanbul after the Grand Bazaar. It is in the Eminonü district opposite the Galata Bridge at the very beginning of the Golden Horn. Dating back to 1665, the bazaar is in the shape of an L with six entrances and has around a hundred stalls extending across some 5,000 m2. After lunch you will visit one of Istanbul’s most unusual sights – the Basilica Cistern, known by its Turkish name as Yerebatan Sarnıcı, a magnificent sunken cistern dating back to Constantinople. It was built by the Emperor Justinian in the basement of a large building with porticoes. The interior is divided by 12 rows of 28 columns, totalling an incredible 336. These support the brick arches and vaults and two of them feature a sculpted head of Medusa. It is a magical place with stunning lighting effects. You are then free again, this time to discover the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul’s oldest and largest covered market, an opportunity to visit a traditional Turkish delight shop for a tasting session. Later, you will be taken to the airport where you will arrive at 16:40. We recommend you choose your flight at least 2 ½ hours after scheduled arrival time.
Your program includes:
An appropriate dress code is required when visiting the Church (knees and shoulders should be covered). |
