Kaan took my wife and me on a wonderful informative tour of major sights in Sultanhamet, The Blue Mosque, the Cistern, and the Topkapi Palace, as well as a quick dip into the Grand Bazaar--not a place for an agoraphobe like me to stay very long. Kaan picked us up dropped us off at our flat in Kurucesme, and even the drive down to the historic district was full of interesting observations about what we were passing. At our main destinations, we had leisurely times with interesting comments at every turn. Kaan is an open minded and intelligent guide whose English is good, and he is a warm, enjoyable man to talk with. He took us for lunch to a wonderful authentic and inexpensive Turkish restaurant we would never have found on our own. We wished we could have spent more time with him, but he oriented us well for a couple of return trips on our own to other sights in the area. VEry worthwhile tour.

We took this tour with two friends and docent Nurcin Ileri, a PhD candidate in Ottoman History--a highly qualified guide. The tour took us across the Bosphorus on the ferry from Sultanhamet to Uskudar. Nurcin was well prepared, personable, and responsive to our questions. We visited a small beautiful mosque of Sinan's design in Uskurdar and walked up to Kuzguncuk, a very interesting neighborhood culturally and architecturally. She sent us on our way to an interesting restaurant back on Taksim, where two of us were staying. It was an engaging and thought-provoking tour, off the beaten tourist path, with an articulate, open-minded guide whom we all enjoyed being with.