Metin Koca was a fantastic guide: his knowledge was interesting and entertaining, as well as historical. The most important part for me was that he enthusiastically shared his love and respect for the Hagia Sofia, the Cistern and Istanbul . I came away with such a different knowledge of Turkey and its people, as well as a deeper understanding the long and complicated evolution of this beautiful city straddling two continents.

Great tour! The Hagia Sophia is amazing but there's a huge line and we didn't have to line up at all. We even got in before it filled up with tourists and got to witness the almost empty interior. The tour itself was great. I'm not usually a fan of yours but the information was very interesting, exactly what you'd want to know without being superfluous.

If I could give 10 stars I would. It was my husband and my first trip to Istanbul. We didn’t want to take an organized tour, but rather one tailored to what we wanted to see. Metin listened to what we wanted and absolutely delivered. He is a genius at getting through (or avoiding altogether) lines. Impressive knowledge of history. He taught us how to navigate the local transportation. He basically made our day stress and hassle free. Exactly what we requested. If you’re looking for a guide that will do what you want and give you a delightful day he is the guide for you. Thank you Metin. We’ll never forget this magical day.

Metin is a very kind local to Istanbul who is a certified tour guide and historian. He gave us a tour of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul on our honeymoon, but also does private tours "off the beaten path" in Istanbul. The tour was extremely thorough and concise, and what we appreciated the most was his view on the intersection of cultures which makes Turkish history so rich. He also introduced us to an excellent Turkish rug store and a ceramics store. He really had nothing to gain from us purchasing there and took us there for nothing in return because we didn't have a great experience looking for Turkish rugs on our own. It was a real testament to his kindness.

Metin was fantastic. Took us straight to the front of the line (there is a really good reason - just trust me as I don’t want to spoil the surprise!). Haja Sophia is wonderful and worth seeing with an experienced guide.

My friends and I spent all day with Metin yesterday taking in the sights and sounds of Istanbul (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkai Palace, the Grand Bazaar, and Spice Market). We had the most EXTRAORDINARY day!!! Metin is the best—super knowledgeable, funny, and loves this city, which makes it really fun to learn from him. His English is fabulous, and he seemed to know everyone, which helped us secure prime spots in lines or skip them altogether (a perk when you’re trying to make the most of your day). We could not believe our luck in getting to see the Hagia Sophia first thing in the morning and had it almost entirely to ourselves for a few minutes. We learned later that Metin got up early to get in line before we got there, so we could hop right in. He also helped us find a non-touristy breakfast place with some of the most amazing food, and later took us to see a rug dealer who helped us learn not only how rugs were made but let us see a wide collection. As a female traveler, I felt safe with Metin and even learned some awesome photography tips from him, which I put into practice right away. Like other reviewers have said, do yourself and your group the biggest favor and book a tour with Metin. I’ve traveled all over the world and his tour is up at the top of my list! If we could give him more than 5 stars, we would!

Guide was great with knowledge on Hagia Sophia and also taken care of us when there were alot of people. He also knew the best angles to take photos in the mosque for tourist!

Metin was great tour guide . Very informative and a lovely person to have a tour with . His English is outstanding. I could understand very well. I highly suggest him ! You won’t be sorry . Well worth the money .

A great way to experience The Hagia Sophia. We were able to really appreciate all the small details of this beautiful building thanks to the informative tour.

Amazing tour! The Hagia Sophia was fantastic with such rich history. Thank you Metin Koca for being a great tour guide!

Very informative. Very friendly. Good mix of history with some humour thrown in. Would definitely recommend.

I can't recommend Metin (Metin KOCA ([email protected]) enough. It's nothing short of a VIP experience; he has tremendous knowledge of the sights, history, significance; warm, humorous, and kind individual. Make sure to listen to his recommendations about the less trodden but incredibly beautiful sights to see in Istanbul other than the big obvious ones. And his photography tips - take them! Thank you Metin for a very memorable couple of days!

Concise and interesting explanation. Funny, friendly and engaging. I didn’t realize HAGIA SOFIA is inspiration, not a consummation, of mosque architecture. Also a useful recommendation of Sulaimanie mosque, which we would not have gone.

Walking up to the Hagia Sophia before it opened we were approached by Metin, recognizable by the big M on the front of his baseball cap (Michigan in the back). We weren’t too sure, but after he told us that we could sit under a tree and when the gates opened we would jump to the front of the line, we decided to give it a try. True to his word, he hustled us up to the front of the line and we were one of the first people in the mosque…which felt very different from when the crowds caught up to us later. He packed a lot of information into a one hour tour. Very knowledgable and included cultural information about modern Istanbul along with historical context. Great value for what it cost. Through Metin we heard the story of The Hagia Sophia and the walls spoke to us. PS his English is excellent

Fun and informative tour. Metin is knowledgeable and kind. He also provided us with advice and suggestions about other places and attractions. Can definitely recommend him for any tour. Thank you so much Metin!

A+++++ experience!! Metin has a deep knowledge of Ottoman and Roman history. Even my 9 year old really got into it. highly highly recommend!

We ( 7 friends) had the blessing of finding Metin KOCA ([email protected]) outside the mosque on a very busy Saturday, April 15. Metin was able to get us right into the mosque, gave us a great tour that was longer and way ahead of others in line with the cruise excursion for a very reasonable price. He was interesting, fun, easy to understand and answered our questions. We were so happy with this tour. If I return I would take a longer tour and more sites with him. I recommend this tour and this tour guide.

Great guide! With alot of info. Managed to provide insight and history of hagia sophia. Recommended good places for food and shops too

He was so knowledgeable on the history of the building and he really made it evident how much compromise was made to keep all parties happy in the opening of the Hagia Sophia.

We came to Hagai Sophia without a guide and by chance met Metin. He offered to guide us through the building and he was amazing with his detailed knowledge of the building and the history behind it. Metin is extremely personable and speaks superior english so he is easy to understand. He is well worth the cost of a guide and i would not recommend touring Hagai Sophia without a guide. Best of all you skip the line and go directly in which saves you a ton of time. Metin is also registered with the Istanbul City Tourism and has his identification on his lanyard. If you walk the grounds there are many people wanting to "guide" you but they are just regular people who are not registered, they have no identification as a guide. Look for the guy with the Michigan baseball hat, he is awesome!!