Tours

The following tours have been scheduled in the framework of the Excellence in Rheumatology Conference 2011:

Istanbul City Tour (Full Day)
Operating on 17, 18 & 19 February 2011

The tour will begin with a drive through the Hippodrome Area which used to be the center of sportive events (chariot races, athletics) events and political activities of the old city. The Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpentine Column, and the German Fountain of Wilhelm II are the monuments surrounding the Hippodrome.

Our next visit will be the “St Sophia Museum”, one of the greatest surviving instances of Byzantine architecture.
Our guided visit in the St Sophia Museum will take around 1h15min and afterwards there will be free time for lunch or strolling around.

After St. Sophia, we will be visiting the last residence of the Ottoman Sultans, the “Topkapı Palace”. The palace complex is located on the Seraglio Point (Sarayburnu), a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara, with the Bosphorus in plain sight from many points of the palace. The site is hilly and one of the highest points so close to the sea. During Greek and Byzantine times, the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Byzantion stood here.

Our next stop will be the "Sultan Ahmet Center", (the heart of the Old city from where the Byzantine and Ottoman empires were ruled), to see the Blue Mosque, built for Sultan Ahmet and famous for its blue Iznik tiles and its six minarets.

We will finally enter the Grand Covered Bazaar, the most attractive shopping center and biggest "souk" in the world with nearly 4000 shops selling antiques, jewellery, gold, carpets, leatherware and souvenirs.

Cost per person: 52 euros


Istanbul City Tour (Half Day)
Operating on 17, 18 & 19 February 2011

Tour schedule:

  • Visit to the St. Sophia Museum
  • Visit to the Blue Mosque
  • Visit to the Hippodrome

 Cost per person: 30 euros

 

 

 

 

 

Dolmabahce Palace Tour (Half Day)
Operating on 17, 18 & 19 February 2011

Departure from the conference venue and arrival at Dolmabahce Palace .

The Dolmabahce Palace, a blend of various European architectural styles, was built between 1843-1856 by Karabet Balyan, the court architect of Sultan Abdulmecid. The Ottoman sultans had many palaces, but the Topkapi was the official residence until the completion of the Dolmabahce Palace.

The three-storied palace built on a symmetrical plan of 285 rooms and 43 halls. There is a 600 metre-long quay along the sea and two monumental gates, one of them very ornate, on the land side. Well-kept, beautiful gardens surround this seaside palace. In the middle, there is a large ballroom with a ceiling higher than the other sections. The entrance section of the palace was used for the receptions and meetings of the sultan, and the wing behind the ballroom was used as the harem section.

After the visit to the Dolmabache Palace we will visit the Chora museum which was a church during the Byzantine period and has the best Mosaics in Constantinople.

Cost per person: 48 euros

 

Bosphorus By Boat
Operating on 17, 18 & 19 February 2011

Bosphorus literally means "cow-ford", so named because Zeus' s mistress, Io, fled across the strait in the shape of a cow to escape the wrath of Zeus's wife, Hera.

Myth aside, the legendary waterway is as dazzlingly beautiful now as it was in antiquity.

No visit to Istanbul is complete without a cruise along its physical and spiritual heart, the glistening waters that link Europe to Asia and join the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.

A chance to relax and admire the shoreline of beautiful mosques, lavish palaces and decadent villas - we'll also see the Dolmabahce and Beylerbeyi Palaces, Ottoman summer mansions and the Ortakoy Mosque, the defensive Rumeli Fortress and the Bosphorus Bridge - one of the world's largest suspension bridges; all this next to passing fishing boats, yachts, huge cargo ships and tankers.

Services Included in Tours:

  • Entrance fees 
  • Experienced English-speaking guide
  • Transfers in A/C coaches

IMPORTANT NOTES

  • A minimum number of 30 persons is required for all congress tours. The Conference Organisers reserve the right to cancel the tour and refund the participants in full if the minimum number is not reached.
  • Pick up & drop off point for all tours is the conference venue.

The tickets for all tours will be handed to you upon your arrival at the conference venue by  the Hospitality Desk.

Reservation Procedure

On Line

  • For on line reservation please click HERE.

By Fax or E- Mail

  • Please download the Tours Booking Form HERE, fill in all fields and return to C & C International. Fax Number: +30 210 6844777 attn Hospitality Dept, E- mail: eir-

A letter confirming your reservation will be sent to you by e-mail within three (3) days after having received both your reservation and your payment.

Cancellation Policy

  • Written cancellations received prior to January 17th, 2011 will receive full refund.
  • There will be no refund for cancellations received after January 17th, 2011.
All refunds will be processed within two (2) months following the conclusion of the Conference.

* The above mentioned policy applies to individual bookings only.

Payment Details

All payments are made in Euros. You may use one of the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, Amex*.

Personal cheques are not accepted.

*Amex is not accepted for online reservations.