Black Sea Energy & Economic Forum Partners’ Program
The Black Sea Energy and Economic Forum is offering its inaugural Partners’ Program at the 2010 Forum in Istanbul Turkey.
Partners are invited to take part in all Forum lunches and dinners including the offsite gala dinner in the Topkapi Palace Gardens On September 30 for the registration rate of €850.00.
Partners who attend the Forum are also encouraged to take advantage of the many tours offered separately and not included in the registration fee. (Tour descriptions are below)
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Agenda: |
| September 29, 2010 |
| 14:00 All optional tours available for Forum Participants and Partners |
| 19:00 Conrad Hilton Hotel Grand Ballroom with Forum Participants |
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| September 30, 2010 |
| 09:00- Morning Tours |
Ottoman Heritage, Oriental Mysteries, Historical Highlights of Istanbul, Oriental Harmony, and Asian Piers of the Bosphorus Tours available for Partners. |
| 13:00-14:30 Lunch in the Conrad Hilton Manzara Room with Forum Participants |
Building a Better Future through Cooperation |
| 14:00- Afternoon Tour Oriental Shopping Excursion |
| 19:30 Reception and Gala Dinner in the Topkapi Palace Gardens with tour of Topkapi Palace Museum with Forum Participants |
| October 1, 2010 |
| 09:00- Morning Tours |
Ottoman Heritage, Oriental Mysteries, Historical Highlights of Istanbul, Oriental Harmony, and Asian Piers of the Bosphorus Tours available for Partners. |
| 13:00-14:30 Lunch in Conrad Hilton Manzara Room with Forum Participants |
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| 14:00- Afternoon Tour Oriental Shopping Excursion |
| Evening (exact time tbc) Optional Bosphorus River dinner cruise with Forum Participants |
All rates are net – include guidance, transfers, and entrance fees. Each tour has a minimum of 10 persons.)
| HISTORICAL TOURS |
Ottoman Heritage  This sightseeing tour will start with a visit to the Sultan Ahmed Camii. (In front of the Camii, hostesses will be distributing socks to wear, bags to carry their shoes and pashminas to cover their shoulders). The Blue Mosque is the most famous monument in both the Turkish and Islam World, and the only mosque with six minarets.
Next stop will be the Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum which has one of the richest collections of Turkish Carpets in the world, going back to the thirteenth century. Final visit will be to the Exquisite Sokollu Mehmet Pasa Mosque, which in the opinion of many art historians is the masterpiece of the great architect Sinan. |
| Tour cost - EURO 35 P/P including transfers, guidance and entrance fees ^Top |
| Oriental Mysteries – Topkapi Palace In 1465, Sultan Mehmet, the conqueror of Istanbul, ordered the construction of this Palace. The Ottoman Sultans lived in and administered the Palace until the 19th century. One of the most intriguing aspects of life in the ancient orient is the Harem. Topkapi Palace Harem section has been open to the public for many years. But there are many splendid rooms and quarters still hidden from public eye. You will be taken through these sections and also to the newly designed Treasury exhibit, one of the richest in the world. All sections plus sections with special permit will be visited. |
| Tour cost - EURO 45 P/P including transfers, guidance and entrance fees ^Top |
Historical Highlights of Istanbul First stop is the “Hippodrome Square” in Old City, which was built by the Roman Emperor Septimus and it was the centre of Byzantium’s social life for a 1000 years and of Ottoman’s for another 400 years. It was the scene of countless political and military events during the long life of this city (Byzantine).Then we will proceed to the “Sultan Ahmet Camii” which is also called the “Blue Mosque”. It is one of the most famous monuments in both Turkish and Islamic worlds, being the only mosque built with 6 minarets. It is decorated with very nice “Iznik” tiles, worth seeing (Ottoman).  Haghia Sophia was built by Constantine the great and considered as a masterpiece of Byzantine art. Its first construction dates back to the end of the 4th century. Haghia Sophia served as a church for 916 years and as a mosque for 477 years until Ataturk’s orders converted it into a museum, now displaying the pieces both from Christianity and Islam. |
| Tour cost - EURO 40 P/P including transfers, guidance and entrance fees ^Top |
| Oriental Harmony Tour Includes: Rustempasa Mosque, Spice Market, Coffee Demonstration Tour will start with a visit of the Rustempasa Mosque, which was built by the chief architect of the Ottoman Empire, Sinan, and dedicated to grand vizier Rustem Pasa in the 16th century. The mosque is raised on a terrace overlooking to a collection of shops and woodwork stores. It is famous for its blue tiles, which cover the wall piers to an extent that only a sultan or grand vizier could afford. Then one will have the opportunity to stroll through the busy streets behind the Spice Market and see the most exotic section of the old town, with its interesting streets full of small shops, mosques and markets. You will then reach the Spice Market. The Spice Market, or the Egyptian Market, so-called because the first goods sold here were imported from Egypt, was built in 1660 as part of the Yeni Mosque. All kinds of spices and herbs fill the atmosphere with their aroma; delicatessen, coffee and nuts counters also offer the best quality and a choice of different tastes. Lunch will be served at the 100-year-old Pandelli Restaurant located inside the market serving Turkish specialties. After lunch, by the oldest coffee making place, Mehmet Efendi a show of “How to Prepare Turkish Coffee” will take place and you will be given a coffee cup with Turkish coffeemaker and coffee. The choice is after lunch will be to continue Grand Bazaar for shopping or return back to Hotel |
| Tour cost - EURO 35 per person Lunch - EURO 60 per person with limited local drinks ^Top |
| SHOPPING |
Oriental Shopping Shopping in Istanbul is a lot of fun as well as being a cultural experience. You will remember being offered by merchants, feverishly bargaining, and the interesting conversations that will take place during your shopping.The tour will start with a 30-minute stop at the Spice Market. This market is one of Istanbul’s covered bazaars – but one which smells like all mysteries of ‘1001’ nights. It is very cozy. It offers herbs and spices, dried fruits and nuts and lokum – Turkish delight.  The next stop will be the Grand Bazaar, to explore its mysterious atmosphere and wander the aisles, smell the spices and discover the gold merchants in this largest covered market in Istanbul; there are over 4400 shops to choose from when one hits this fabulous shopping Mecca. |
| Tour cost - EURO 20 P/P including transfers and assistance ^Top |
| Asian Piers of Bosphorus In Istanbul, all roads lead to the Bosphorus. No trip to the city would be complete without a cruise along this winding strait, meandering between the continents of Europe and Asia. The Bosphorus, the 20-mile strait that joins two seas and two continents, has been, through the ages, the subject of much legend and art. Small fishing villages line the inlets while the many churches, monasteries, and summer palaces along its shores add to its natural beauty. We shall start this wonderful tour by cruising along the Bosphours and crossing over to the lesser-known Asian side. First, we will stop at Beylerbeyi Palace, built during the reign of Sultan Abdulaziz in the year 1865 and used as the summer palace of the sultans. Our second stop will be at Kuzguncuk with its synagogues, mosques, and churches, where, again, the three religions meet. We will then be transferred to Sabanci Museum, formerly the home of one of the richest family in Turkey, which is surrounded by lavish gardens and is now open as a museum, where we shall find a rich collection of calligraphy and drawings from the 19th and 20th centuries. Return transfer by coaches. |
| Tour cost - EURO 80 per person including lunch with local drinks ^Top |
