In the footsteps of the mysterious Freemasons in Istanbul

Six hours through Pera and Galata, to signs found in no guidebook: compass and square on portals, 19th-century lodge houses, the role of the lodges in the reform era and among the Young Turks. An invitation to decode.

Highlights

• Learn to read symbols on façades, portals and tombs
• Historic lodge buildings in Pera and Galata
• The role of the lodges in the reform era and among the Young Turks
• Freemasons, Templars, Rosicrucians: signs and their origins
• Your own state-licensed guide, no strangers
• No sales stops, no commissions

Full description

Istanbul is a book of stone written in the language of symbols. A floor mosaic whose pattern recalls an ancient seal; a tower whose geometry reveals more than centuries wanted to hide; a sign above a portal that only the initiated can read.

We stay on solid ground: when and where the first lodges in the Ottoman Empire were founded, what role they played in the 19th century and in the Young Turk movement, and which architectural traces survive in Pera and Galata. No prior knowledge needed.

What we see

We adapt order and selection to weekday, opening hours, weather and your wishes.

• Pera, the European quarter
  Embassies and trading houses of the 19th century – the starting point.
• Historic lodge buildings
  Houses where lodges met; viewed from outside, interior visits only by arrangement.
• Symbolism on façades
  Compass, square, eye and other signs on buildings and tombs.
• Galata
  The Genoese quarter and its links to the European networks.
• Reform era and Young Turks
  The lodges in the political history of the late Ottoman Empire.
• … and more
  A mosaic, a tower, a portal – depending on light, weather and your interest.

Included

• 6 hours private, state-licensed guide in your language (Mehmet Humayunoğlu or an experienced colleague from his team)
• Planning, coordination and time management of the day
• Headsets for groups of 16 or more
• Meeting point of your choice: hotel lobby, Galataport or Tünel Square

Not included

• Entrance fees and donations
• Lunch and drinks
• Vehicle and transfers, optional
• Personal expenses, tips

Meeting point

As the tour starts in Pera, Tünel Square at the upper end of İstiklal Avenue is the shortest way into the subject; alternatively your hotel lobby or the Galataport cruise terminal. Please arrive five minutes early.

You will recognise me by the sign “MeinReiseleiter.de” and the visibly worn guide licence. We confirm meeting point and time with your booking.

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Important information

German, English, Turkish, French, Italian, Spanish – 25 more languages on request.

• Comfortable shoes – Lots of cobblestones in the old town, uphill and downhill.
• Dress code in mosques – Shoulders and knees covered, ladies with headscarf. Scarves are available at the entrance.
• Fridays – We visit mosques only after the noon prayer and adjust the order.