Istanbul
Istanbul is the only city that sits on two continents — the Bosphorus splits Europe from Asia and ferries cross it every fifteen minutes, full of commuters reading newspapers and tourists trying to look casual about it.
Sultanahmet has the famous postcards (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapı), but the city really opens up further out: tea gardens in Çukurcuma, Sunday brunch in Karaköy, the antique-spice rush of the Mısır Çarşısı. Walk a different neighbourhood each day and Istanbul keeps unfolding.
Two truths to hold together: it's enormous (16+ million people) and it's intimate (everyone has a tea-glass and an opinion). Plan less, wander more, and accept the offer when someone invites you to sit down.
Top places
Inside the collections
What we'd tell a friend
Sunday breakfast at Çukur Çeşme — eggs, cheese, olives, simit, three teas. Don't book under two hours.
Ride the Beşiktaş–Üsküdar ferry at sunset with a tulip-glass of çay. ₺15 and beats every Bosphorus cruise.
Cross to Kadıköy for dinner. Food is half the price and twice as honest as Sultanahmet.
Good to know
- 1Remove your shoes before entering any mosque; women cover their hair (scarves available at the door).
- 2Don't visit mosques during the five daily prayer times — wait ~30 minutes after the call to prayer (ezan).
- 3Tea (çay) is offered everywhere — refusing once is fine, but accepting builds rapport in shops + bazaars.
- 4Haggling is expected in the Grand Bazaar and Mısır Çarşısı (spice market) — start at ~40% of asking price.
- 5Cards work in Sultanahmet + Beyoğlu; carry small cash (₺10, ₺20) for taxis and tea-houses outside the centre.