School trips to Istanbul

Why visit Istanbul?

Explore a historic city

Istanbul, formerly known as Byzantion and Constantinople, occupies a strategically important location – it straddles the Bosporus Strait, which is the only passage between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. This explains why Istanbul was an imperial capital for around sixteen centuries, for the Roman, Latin, Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

Istanbul, thanks to its location as the bridge between Asia and Europe, was also an important stop along the Silk Road and this has given the city a cosmopolitan atmosphere that it retains to this day. If you want your students to experience a real melting pot of cultures and learn more about the history of trade between Europe and Asia, then a school trip to Istanbul would be hard to beat.

On your school trip to Istanbul your students will explore important monuments, including the Ottoman-era Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. And you’ll visit the Hippodrome – an important square that was once a circus and is now home to a number of historic monuments, such the Serpent Column and the Obelisk of Theodosius.

Don’t have time to make your school trip a comprehensive tour of all the incredible classical monuments and ruins around Turkey? Then you’ll want to squeeze in a visit to Miniaturk – one of the largest miniature parks in the world! Here, your students will see miniature versions of some of the country’s most iconic monuments, including the Hagia Sophia, the Mausoleum of Maussollos and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

And make sure you don’t miss out on a visit to Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, which was built in the 15th century, just after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. One of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, this is where your students will have the chance to delve deeper into the Turkish culture. With 61 covered streets, there are over 4,000 shops and so there is plenty of opportunity for a bit of retail therapy, as well as some haggling practice.

Discover Islamic history and culture

During Roman and Byzantine times, Istanbul had an important role in the spread of Christianity but, after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, it became an important Islamic city.

The majority of the city’s modern population now identify as Muslim and Islamic culture has strongly influenced that of Turkey.

On your school trip to Istanbul, your students will, in particular, love exploring some of the city’s many spectacular mosques, such as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, otherwise known as the Blue Mosque which was built in the 17th century.

And so, a school trip to Istanbul is a fantastic option for any religious studies groups, as well as groups from Islamic faith schools.