Hello, I am Serhat Engul, a licensed Istanbul tour guide and writer with more than 20 years of guiding experience. I was born and raised in Istanbul. After graduating in 2001, I worked in hotels for several years, obtained my professional tour guide license in 2004, and became a full-time guide in 2013. I specialize in the city’s Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history.
My work as a guide focuses on Sultanahmet (Old City), Beyoglu, Fener & Balat, Byzantine history and Kadikoy (Asian Side). The walking tours I lead are described separately on Istanbul Private Tour Guide.
During our tours, we usually begin at a convenient central meeting point and visit the city’s most iconic landmarks first. Then, I love to take you off the beaten path—into quiet streets, hidden courtyards, and authentic neighborhoods—where the real stories of Istanbul’s history and culture reveal themselves.
My Work as a Guide
My half-day walking tours last around 3 to 4 hours and focus on Istanbul’s history, culture and everyday life. I lead private walking tours in English for groups of up to six guests, usually in the morning. Questions that arise while visiting a monument or walking through a neighborhood often lead me back to the historical sources I use in my writing.
These itineraries have been shaped by feedback from my guests and by my research into the places we visit. Some walks offer a broad introduction to the city, while others focus on a particular period, including the Byzantine history walks I have led since 2019.
I am a licensed tourist guide (Ministry of Culture and Tourism license no. 003660), registered with the Istanbul Tourist Guides Chamber (İRO), which is a member of TUREB.
My Writing and Publications
Alongside guiding, I write about Istanbul and Byzantine history in several distinct formats. I have also written two articles for Culture Trip, on Istanbul’s mosques and on the Byzantine mosaics in its churches. Each of my own publications has its own purpose:
- Istanbul Clues, which I started in late 2015, is a digital travel guide to Istanbul.
- Byzantine Istanbul is a compact guide to the Byzantine city, connecting historical sources with places that can still be seen today.
- Byzantine Stories presents a source-based narrative history of the Byzantine world.
- Alek, Misi & Rubi — Istanbul Stories is a series of literary historical fables for adults, told through three fictional animal witnesses.
I also write in Turkish. The SerhatEngul.com archive, published since 2016, covers Istanbul and history, while Alek Misi Rubi publishes literary historical fables for adults. More about my Turkish writing is available on my biography in Turkish.
Other Historical Writing Projects
Traveler Reviews and Recommendations
Over the years, I have had the privilege of guiding travelers from all around the world—especially from the USA, UK, and Canada. Many of them kindly shared their impressions on my TripAdvisor page, where you can read honest reviews of their experiences with me.
Among the most mentioned highlights in these reviews are the Sultanahmet (Old City) tour, the Byzantine history tour, and the Fener & Balat walking tour. These districts are full of layers of history, and they truly come alive when explored with the context and stories that a local licensed guide can provide. Travelers have also recommended my guiding in a discussion on the Rick Steves Travel Forum.
Contact Me
If you would like to learn more about my private walking tours in Istanbul, please feel free to reach out through the contact form on this site.
I usually respond to emails within 24 hours, and during the busy travel season it may take up to 48 hours. Either way, I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Serhat Engul