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Offered languages
- English
“Shadows of Istanbul: The Haunted Night Tour”
Step into the shadows of history with Istanbul’s original and only haunted night experience. Guided by expert storytellers, you’ll explore eleven chilling locations, each with its own eerie tale researched and rooted in historical fact.
As we wander through the ancient heart of the city, ghost-hunting equipment and some visual aids bring the stories to life.
Follow the flicker of lanterns through forgotten alleys, Roman ruins, and the dark corners of the Hippodrome—where empires once rose, and spirits may still linger. Walk where sultans, soldiers, and lost souls once did, and hear their untold stories echo through the night.
This immersive two-hour experience includes plenty of time to rest, reflect, and investigate at each haunted stop. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, this tour will leave you questioning what you thought you knew about Istanbul.
Dare to discover the haunted side of history?
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Our guide will meet you at the Column of Constantine near the information post. He will be holding a lantern so you will be able to recognize him. Please come a little before 8pm as the tour starts at 8pm Thank you
This is the main Gate, the Imperial Gate, to the Topkapi Palace. It is behind and to the side of the Hagia Sophia. The guides will walk back close to our starting point and can direct you wherever you want to go.
Itinerary
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1Forum of Constantine
In the year 330, Constantine moved that Capital of the Roman Empire and it started here at this location. The Column of Constantine holds dark secrets from the past and the forum that surrounded it bared witness to the terror that took place here.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Ahmet Tevfik Pasa MezarI
We enter a graveyard of a Sultan and his advisors from the 19th Century. Here the tales of betrayal and assassination.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3Sphendone Remains
We will make our way to the side of the Sphendone which is the vaulted remnants of the south side of the Hippodrome. Here we will visit the outside of an ancient prison which once housed wild animals for the circus. We will also discuss torture methods of these prisons and how disfiguration was a common practice during this time.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Hippodrome
The Hippodrome was the sporting and social center of Constantinople. It was the center of the Roman world for over 1000 years and was second only to the Cirucs Maximus. This was host to the famous chariot races from the grandest city of the medieval world. The Hippodrome was not only a place for chariot racing and its rival factions, but it held public executions and was the place to see the emperor face to face for the citizens of Constantinople. It was also the scene for one of the most horrific massacres in human history.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Kucuk Ayasofya - Gazi Suleyman Pasa Mosque
This church was once called the Church of Saints Sergius and Baccus and later rename under Ottoman rule the Little Hagia Sophia Mosque. Before it was a church, the area was a palace home to Justinian before he became Emperor in the 6th century. During the 16th century a high-ranking eunuch was embezzling money and evading taxes. Here he was found and executed losing something very personal for him.
10 minutes • Admission ticket included -
6Sphendone Remains
We make our way to the back side of the Sphendone where we will hear about the "best seats in the house" and how a great deal of death was compiled here over many centuries. We will hear of a Coup De Tat that was successful in dethroning a powerful Emperor and the fate that him and his sons endured above these walls.
8 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Serpent Column
Here we will talk about the Haunted Serpent Column from the spoils of war to the brutal execution of a Byzantine Emperor that took place here.
8 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8German Fountain
We will briefly discuss the German Fountain and how the same location was the starting gates for the chariot races in the Hippodrome. In the 17th century Ottoman soldiers were returning home from war and they were not being paid. This led to a deadly event that happened at this location where a very old tree once stood.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
9Sultan Ahmet Tomb
In the Ottoman Empire the law of Fratricide allowed these Sultans to kill their brothers and children who threatened their throne. Brothers killing brothers and now they haunt the Mausoleum where their bodies lay.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
10Sultanahmet Square
In the early 17th Century coffee was banned for public drinking and the consequences were literally deadly.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
11Imperial Gate Bab-i-Humayun
The main gate to the Imperial Palace is grand, but it was also meant to scare and intimidate all those who entered. The head gardener of the palace gardens also had a special race that was literally a matter of life and death.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Show more
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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