Our guide, Ebru Gokteke, was excellent. We did the tour on our first full day in Istanbul and it provided solid grounding for experiencing it's history, culture and architecture for the week following. While we had versed ourselves in the history of Thrace and Anatolia from antiquity to modern times, somehow we never encountered, or at least recall, Sinan the architect. We are indebted to Ebru for introducing us to one of the world's great architects. The ability to actively dialogue with Ebru, as opposed to submissively receiving a "canned speech", to clarify a statement or pursue something in more detail or even wander a bit off-track made the tour exceptional. Ebru also gave us very valuable advice about using public transportation in Istanbul and suggestions about how to arrange our week's visit to her city.

When planning which tours to take, this was the one that I was least sure about. But I did not need to worry, Ebru's enthusiasm and joy in sharing her knowledge made for an exceptional tour. I have never had three plus hours go so fast. I was so sorry when it ended.

Because the size of the group was so limited, it felt almost like a private tour. Everyone had a chance to get their questions answered. The pace was very good. I didn't feel like I was getting rushed through the sites, and there was enough time to listen to the docent, ask questions and look around on our own and take pictures. The docent was extremely knowledgeable and very pleasant and funny. When I booked the tour originally, I thought the price was a little high, but after experiencing it, I feel like it was well-worth the cost. I don't think there was anything about the tour that didn't work.

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