Istanbul

Istanbul has been the capital of the civilized world for many centuries and now it's Turkey's most important city in history, folklore, commerce and culture. Though it is very worn down with about 12 million residents, it still remains a glorious metropolis lying on the border between Europe and Asia. Although it is very crowdy, pungent and polluted, the Bosphorus Strait, which connects the Black and Marmara Seas, and the Golden Horn, a freshwater estuary, give it a sense of openness and space. Before the construction of Bosphorus Bridge in 1973, the only way to go from the European to the Asian parts of the city was by boat. In 1988 a second bridge was completed. A third one is planned, as well as a metro-system.

Istanbul's history dates back to 1000 BC. It is worth reading some of its impressive history before visiting in order to be able to distinguish different architectural styles. The most important building to visit is the Topkapi Palace. From the 15th century until the early 1800s it was the residence of the sultans. The palace's harem (imperial family quarters) was almost a small village inside the palace itself. It housed up to 500 people at any time, including up to 300 concubines. The imperial treasury shown inside the buildings includes items covered with gold, silver, diamonds and other expensive materials.

The Aya Sofya (Church of the Divine Wisdom), was built by Justinian in 548. In those days it was the greatest church in Christendom. After 14 centuries of wars, earthquakes and other unfortunates, the building doesn't look much like it used to anymore. Small buildings build against its walls house kiosks and souvenir shops. The interior's immense dome is still impressive, though. The Blue Mosque is an excellent balance between harmony, proportion and elegance: its exterior elicits the sort of eye-boggling, weak-kneed admiration which Aya Sofya's interior induces.

There are thousands of buildings and sights to be seen in Istanbul. If you think it's all to much, take a ferry cruise up the Bosphorus or wander the Grand Bazaar, a maze of narrow streets where you can buy about everything. Uzunçarsi Caddesi is the area where you will encounter less tourists. Wood turners' shops, hunting equipment and clothing merchants fill this part of the city. It is fascinating to walk down Istiklal Caddesi in the Beyoglu area, north of the bridge. In the beginning of the 1900s, this was the place where high-class Ottomans and colonial Europeans used to mingle.

The best place to find cheaper accommodation is in the old city or Sultanahmet. Taksim Square is where many modern middle to upper-end places are to be found. The restaurants along Sultanahmet's Divan Yolu are the most obvious places to eat, but it is a lot cheaper to get away from the main tourist-zone. In the Grand Bazaar there are places where you can sit and eat many small dishes if you fancy trying different meals. Istiklal Caddesi is also full of small grill joints.