PLAN YOUR ISTANBUL TRAVEL
The only city in the earth that can lay right to straddling two continents, Istanbul—once known as Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine and then the Ottoman Empire—has for ages been a bustling capital with one foot in Europe and the opposite in Asia. Istanbul welcomes this enviable position with both an inevitable chaos and inventiveness, ever growing as one of the world’s most metropolitan crossroads.
It’s often said that Istanbul is the connection point between East and West, but guests to this city increased over the previous capital of two great empires are likely to be just as excited by the juxtaposition of old and new. Office towers sneak up behind historic palaces, women in chic designer outfits pass others wearing long skirts and head coverings, peddlers’ trolleys vie with battered old cars and shiny cars for dominance of the narrow, noisy streets, and the Grand Bazaar faces with modern shopping plazas. At dawn, when the muezzin's call to prayer sounds from ancient minarets, there are necessarily a few hearty revelers still making their walk home from nightclubs and bars.
Most guests to this sprawling city of more than 14 million will first set foot in the almost compact Old City, where the legacy of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires can be seen in great works of design like the brilliant Aya Sofya and the wonderfully balanced mosques built by the great architect Sinan. Although it would be easy to spend days, if not weeks, searching the wealth of attractions in the old peninsula, visitors should make sure also to feel elsewhere in order to feel the vibrancy of modern Istanbul. With a lively nightlife launched by its young population and an exciting arts scene that's frequently on the general radar—thanks in part to its work as the European Capital of Culture in 2010—Istanbul is a city that never sleeps. It’s also a place where guests will feel grateful: Istanbul may be on the Bosphorus, but at the middle it’s a Mediterranean city, whose friendly residents are effusively friendly and eager to share what they love most about it.
It’s often said that Istanbul is the connection point between East and West, but guests to this city increased over the previous capital of two great empires are likely to be just as excited by the juxtaposition of old and new. Office towers sneak up behind historic palaces, women in chic designer outfits pass others wearing long skirts and head coverings, peddlers’ trolleys vie with battered old cars and shiny cars for dominance of the narrow, noisy streets, and the Grand Bazaar faces with modern shopping plazas. At dawn, when the muezzin's call to prayer sounds from ancient minarets, there are necessarily a few hearty revelers still making their walk home from nightclubs and bars.
Most guests to this sprawling city of more than 14 million will first set foot in the almost compact Old City, where the legacy of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires can be seen in great works of design like the brilliant Aya Sofya and the wonderfully balanced mosques built by the great architect Sinan. Although it would be easy to spend days, if not weeks, searching the wealth of attractions in the old peninsula, visitors should make sure also to feel elsewhere in order to feel the vibrancy of modern Istanbul. With a lively nightlife launched by its young population and an exciting arts scene that's frequently on the general radar—thanks in part to its work as the European Capital of Culture in 2010—Istanbul is a city that never sleeps. It’s also a place where guests will feel grateful: Istanbul may be on the Bosphorus, but at the middle it’s a Mediterranean city, whose friendly residents are effusively friendly and eager to share what they love most about it.
TOP REASONS TO GO ISTANBUL
CHANGE CONTINENTS Enjoy the morning in Europe and the afternoon in Asia, with just a ferry ride in between; how metropolitan is that?
CRUISE THE BOSPHORUS Getting a boat ride up the straight, past scenic waterfront districts and forested slopes topped with citadels is quintessentially Istanbul.
DEAL IN THE BAZAARS Bargain like the locals do as you reach your way into the Spice Bazaar and Grand Bazaar —it may be a bit touristy, but it’s enjoyable.
MARVEL AT ANCIENT DOMES From the charming Hagia Sophia to the graceful Süleymaniye Mosque, the city’s largest works of magnificent architecture never cease to impress, mainly from the inside as you look up.
OGLE AT OPULENCE With their beautiful decor and charming harem quarters, the Topkapi and Dolmabahçe palaces offer a look of the splendor of the Ottoman Empire.
Istanbul
WHEN TO GO
- Summer in Istanbul is warm and humid. Winter typically hits around October and lasts until April, and the months from November and February see a fair amount of rain. All the surrounding water keeps the temperature above freezing, but a cold wind blows off the frozen Balkans, and there's a rare dusting of snow. May and September are pleasant and the most convenient times for traveling.
FESTIVALS
Istanbul Film Festival. The Istanbul Film Festival offers films from Turkey and around the world, providing film buffs a great opportunity to see modern Turkish cinema subtitled in English every April for two weeks. Screenings are held mainly in Beyoglu, as well as in Nisantasi and Kadıköy. Make sure to buy tickets in advance, as seats are reserved and the festival is hugely popular. www.iksv.org.
April also views Istanbul's Tulip Festival, when squares all over the city become a riot of color.
The well-regarded Istanbul Music Festival, continued during several weeks in June, regularly features classical music performed by world-class musicians.
The Istanbul Jazz Festival takes place in the first two weeks of July and brings in the leading names, new and old, from Turkey and around the world.
In the fall, the Istanbul Biennial is held in odd-number years, while the Istanbul Design Biennial held in even-number years; both exhibition cutting-edge work in venues around the city
Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. Tickets for all of these performances can be ordered online through Biletix or by reaching the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV). At the rush time, the İKSV had plans to move to a new, yet-to-be-determined location. Istanbul Kültür Sanat Vakfı, Sadi Konuralp Cad. 5, Sishane, Istanbul,