Samatya: The Armenian District
Samatya: The Armenian District
Join us for a walking tour that explores the diverse religious and cultural backgrounds of Samatya. See Armenian churches, Greek Orthodox churches and mosques.
Duration: 4 Hours
Live Guide: English.
Pick-up Services: Pick up is available from centrally located hotels.
Highlights
- See Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic churches.
- Explore the Samatya and Kocamustafapasa districts of Istanbul.
- Learn about Armenian history, traditions and customs in Turkey.
- Visit the Kocamustafapaşa Camii which dates back to the 6th century.
Full Description
Join us on this tour to discover noteworthy places of worship for different religions in the historic Samatya area of Istanbul. The Church of St George of Samatya, or Surp Kevork in Armenian, was one of the most important Greek Orthodox monasteries in Constantinople. After the Ottoman conquest in 1453, Armenians were resettled in the area and Sultan Mehmet II transferred ownership of the building from the Greeks to the Armenians. It became, and still is, an Armenian church. You'll see this plus the Greek Orthodox churches of Hristos Analipsis and Haghios Menas (Saint Menas) and Roman Catholic churches. There are also impressive mosques in the area including Ramazan Efendi Mosque, built by the famous Ottoman architect, Mimar Sinan, and Kocamustafapasha Mosque, which is the former Byzantine Church of St. Andrew.
Photos
Includes
- Entrance fees.
- Professional guided tour conducted in English.
- Pick up & drop off services from/to centrally located hotels.
- Refreshments.
Meeting point
Your hotel lobby.
Location
Know Before You Go
- *This tour is only available on Thursdays.
- Please ask if pick-up is available for your hotel.
About your Host
Istanbul Walks is Tour Operator that organises Daily City Tours and Walking Tours in Istanbul and Turkey with its company owned vehicles. We are licensed as “A Group No 6174” from the ministry of Culture and Tourism...
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Customer Reviews
It is an old an old historic neighborhood with a lot of old churches and old mosques. I strongly offer you to visit that area.
The tour was very informative. We visited the buildings belong to different origins. We saw a lot of churches and mosques.
Cultural and historical treasure. When I search about Samatya, it wasn t a very popular and touristic place but I think it needs to be promoted more since this place is a cultural treasure!
