Sultanahmet
The Serpent of Constantinople
Istanbul is the only city in the world that was capital to two empires without ever changing location: Constantinople and Istanbul tread on each other at every corner of Sultanahmet. You'll count heads that are no longer there, decode a Viking runic graffito carved by a mercenary of the Byzantine imperial guard, and track down a Christian eagle hiding above an Ottoman gate. It's just over 3 km all told, with one gentle climb up toward the Grand Bazaar and the same easy walk back down.
“Hagia Sophia was a Christian cathedral for almost a thousand years before becoming a mosque in 1453: its four minarets are a later Ottoman addition, built at different times by different sultans. Compare all four carefully — three match each other in colour and material, but the fourth clearly doesn't fit. What colour is the minaret that doesn't match the other three?”
This is what the puzzles are like. The rest unlocks once you start playing.
The playing area
- Access to the full trail for 1 year after purchase
- Built-in hint system if you get stuck
- Printable version, in case you’d rather go phone-free
- No signal needed once the trail has loaded