eBook - ePub
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Publisher
Lonely PlanetYear
2017Print ISBN
9781786572356eBook ISBN
9781786573995İstanbul
Sights
Activities
Festivals & Events
Sleeping
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Around Istanbul
İstanbul
Why Go?
Some ancient cities are the sum of their monuments. But others, such as İstanbul, factor a lot more into the equation. Here, you can visit Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques in the morning, shop in chic boutiques during the afternoon and party at bars and clubs throughout the night. In the space of a few minutes you can hear the evocative strains of the call to prayer issuing from the Old City’s tapering minarets, the sonorous horn of a crowded commuter ferry crossing between Europe and Asia, and the strident cries of a street hawker selling fresh seasonal produce. Put simply, this marvellous metropolis is an exercise in sensory seduction like no other.
Ask locals to describe what they love about İstanbul and they’ll shrug, give a small smile and say merely that there is no other place like it. Spend a few days here, and you’ll know exactly what they mean.
When to Go
AApr Sunshine and balmy breezes usher in the colourful İstanbul Tulip Festival.
AJun & Jul Venues around town host high-profile classical, jazz and contemporary music festivals.
ASep Heat disperses and locals enjoy the season for lüfer (bluefish), a favourite local fish.
Best Places to Eat
A Antiochia
A Çiya Sofrası
A Develi Baklava
A Eleos
A Hayvore
Best Places to Sleep
A Hotel Empress Zoe
A Hotel Ibrahim Pasha
A Karaköy Rooms
A Louis Appartements
A Marmara Guesthouse
İstanbul Highlights
1 Topkapı Palace Uncovering the secrets of the seraglio in this opulent palace.
2 Aya Sofya Marvelling at the interior of one of the world’s truly great buildings.
3 Hamam Surrendering to the steam.
4 Beyoğlu Drinking at a rooftop bar followed by dinner at one of the many restaurants.
5 Kariye Museum (Chora Church) Admiring the extraordinary Byzantine mosaics.
6 Ferry trip Journeying along the mighty Bosphorus, up the Gol...
Table of contents
- Table of Contents
- Welcome to Turkey
- Turkey's Top 19
- Need to Know
- First Time Turkey
- What's New
- If You Like
- Month by Month
- Itineraries
- Turkey's Outdoors
- Eat & Drink Like a Local
- Travel with Children
- Regions at a Glance
- Istanbul
- Istanbuls Bazaars
- Thrace & Marmara
- Gallipoli Battlefields
- Izmir & the North Aegean
- Izmir & the North Aegean Highlights
- Ephesus, Bodrum & the South Aegean
- Ruins of the South Aegean
- Western Anatolia
- Western Anatolia Highlights
- Antalya & the Turquoise Coast
- The Blue Cruise
- Eastern Mediterranean
- Antiquities of the Eastern Med
- Ankara & Central Anatolia
- Cappadocia
- Cappadocian Frescoes 101
- Black Sea Coast
- Eastern Anatolia
- Historical Highlights
- Understand Turkey
- Turkey Today
- History
- Architecture
- Arts
- People
- Environment
- Directory A-Z
- Transport
- Health
- Language
- Behind the Scenes
- Our Writers