Spirituelles Istanbul: Islam und die Altstadt

Very nice tour, we saw lots of historical places, drank a lot of tea and got lots of information about Islam. May God bless you!

Do the big stuff-- Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, etc.--then take this tour for a deeply felt realisation of the spirit of Islam on the individual human scale. Picked up lots of information while being welcomed into the "backroom" activities and support of mosque communities. Highly recommended.

This is such an underrated tour - you go to many spots / learn many things about Istanbul that you otherwise probably wouldn’t!!

Acabamos de hacer un tour por Estambul que nos ha encantado. Es una experiencia muy especial porque nos permitió aprender mucho sobre la religión islámica, las costumbres locales y la espiritualidad de los turcos. SPANISH Nuestro guía, Fatih, nos acercó a una forma de sentir y de vivir que difícilmente puede encontrarse en las guías de viaje o en los tours tradicionales, donde normalmente se habla únicamente de historia y monumentos. Gracias a él, pudimos descubrir una dimensión mucho más auténtica y humana de la cultura turca. Además, tuvimos la oportunidad de conocer a gente local en centros de enseñanza, donde fuimos recibidos con los brazos abiertos. Cuando se viaja como turista no suele haber muchas ocasiones para relacionarse con los turcos de una manera tan cercana, y este tour es una forma ideal de hacerlo. Incluso nos invitaron a una boda, una experiencia inolvidable. Recomendaríamos a Fatih a todos nuestros familiares y amigos. Es un hombre culto, inteligente y con un gran corazón. Sin duda repetiremos. Como él mismo nos dijo: “Business finishes, friendship starts”. ENGLISH We have just completed a tour in Istanbul that we absolutely loved. It was a truly special experience because it allowed us to learn a great deal about Islam, local customs, and the spiritual side of Turkish culture. Our guide, Fatih, introduced us to a way of thinking and living that you simply cannot find in guidebooks or on traditional tours, where the focus is usually limited to history and monuments. Thanks to him, we were able to discover a much more authentic and human side of Turkish culture. We also had the opportunity to meet local people in educational centers, where we were welcomed with open arms. When visiting as a tourist, there are usually very few opportunities to connect with Turkish people on such a personal level, and this tour is the perfect way to do so. We were even invited to a wedding, which was an unforgettable experience. We would recommend Fatih to all our family and friends. He is a cultured, intelligent man with a big heart. We will definitely do it again. As he told us himself: “Business finishes, friendship starts.”

If this is your first time in a Muslim majority country Fatih’s tour provides a great introduction to the religion and the culture. He provides context for Islam, the Ottoman Empire, and what it’s like to a been a practicing Muslim in Turkey. I learned a lot and left with a much better understanding of how spirituality plays a part in every day life in Istanbul. Thanks!!