Best of Things to do as a Family - Luxury Link...However, when you are with the family, it is always fun to ice-skate a little. And, so Galleria is considerably a nice place to do

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neilbetter

Best of Things to do as a Family

Istanbul, 1 Day

Table of contents:Guide Description 2

Itinerary Overview 3

Daily Itineraries 5

Istanbul Snapshot 10

http://www.nileguide.com/destination/istanbul/trips/best-of-things-to-do-as-a-family/5663486

Guide Description

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AUTHOR NOTE: When I say "Let the children enjoy the historyand the city in their own way," I definitely do not mean, "sufferalong with the kids as they run around wildly". I mean to suggesta few activities that can be a lot of fun as you do with your kidsand which will also capture the essence of the city..Besides, most of these activities are things that the locals do.Therefore, they will also help you understand the local life aswell.

Itinerary Overview things to do

restaurants

hotels

nightlife

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Day 1 - IstanbulDAY NOTE: There are so many things that one can do with theirfamilies when they are in Istanbul. Activities below are all veryattractive, but the ideal ones for you may change depending onyour children's ages and number...1. Gezici YAK is a tour operator, that organizes daily tours withinand out of Istanbul, as well as longer vacations to the beautifulbeaches of Turkey. There are some particular daily trips, thatGezici YAK organizes, that are particularly fitting for families(children of any age). One is "swimming with the dolphins" andtakes place in Istanbul. The other is a daily trip to a seaside nearIstanbul. Check out their official Web site for further information...2. TorYol Boat or any other boat can take you and your family outon a boat trip on the Bosphorus. Trips usually start from Eminonu/Galata Bridge or Ortakoy and last for about 2 hours maximum.They sell simple snacks and drinks on the boat as well. As thejourney will be short and there will be music, it should be wellsuited for children of any age -unless the rocking boat makesthem sick in the stomach...3.Santral Istanbul is a beautiful place to go with your family,especially in the summer. In the summer, they open their biggarden, and put out pillows and chairs and sea beds all aroundfor people to relax and enjoy themselves. There are alsoorganized educational activities and workshops like painting,yoga -which occur on a daily basis. Supposedly, they also have agrand breakfast menu, so is a good option to consider for brunch...4. Istanbul Modern is a modern arts museum that showcasesdifferent types of exhibitions -photography, filmography and arts-at the same time. There are dialogues between artists every nowand then, and there are also special workshops for children. Mysuggestions would be to go here at a meal time -breakfast orlunch- and enjoy the view of its cafe -vast sea view from 0 kms-before or after paying a visit to the exhibitions...5. The Princess Islands are always a fun excursion for families.Riding on the boat until the islands and then renting a bike onthe islands, maybe swimming and sunbathing a little, eatingice-cream before returning and enjoying the banlieue life of theTurkish population would be the fine prints of this trip...6. Go to the Istanbul Riding Club to pet the horses, watch them ormaybe even to ride them...7. Dolmabahce Palace is one of the few historical buildings thatyou may be able to visit without a hastle. Cool in the summer andwarm in the winter, next to the sea, the visit to the Palace is anoverwhelming experience of luxury, style and history. Afterwards,enjoy a cup of tea next to the sea...

8. A holiday in Turkey should not finish without a proper meal.Gurme Boncuk is a "meyhane" -a tavern- where you could gowith your children (better if they are young adolescents). The foodis very nice, and the music level is kept under control. There aremusicians who play soft and old Turkish classics...9. For a traditional and big Turkish breakfast -if you do it theproper way, you will have to skip lunch- go to Sade Kahve.Occasionally, they invite a musician to play soft Turkish classicsas well...10. There is not much to see in Galleria itself, as it is a shoppingcenter that is pretty out of way from the major parts of Istanbul.However, when you are with the family, it is always fun to ice-skate a little. And, so Galleria is considerably a nice place to dothat.

Gezici YAKRafting, camping, diving, skiing and more

TorYol BoatPrivate cruise up the Bosphorus

SantralistanbulUnbeatable multi-functional family-orientedestablishment

Istanbul ModernContemporary art museum in a convertedwarehouse atop Bosphorus

Adalar (Princes' Islands)Summer-style, romantic day tripping with a ride onhorse-backed carriage

Istanbul Riding ClubOf course, my horse!

Dolmabahçe PalaceFilled with luxury

Gurme BoncukDecent meyhane, decent prices, typicalArmenian&Turkish food

Sade KahveOne of the best places for a traditional Turkishbreakfast

Itinerary Overview things to do

restaurants

hotels

nightlife

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Galleria Ice SkatingChilling on hot summer days

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Day 1 - IstanbulQUICK NOTE

DAY NOTE: There are so many things that one can do with their families when they are in Istanbul. Activities below are all veryattractive, but the ideal ones for you may change depending on your children's ages and number...1. Gezici YAK is a tour operator, that organizes daily tours within and out of Istanbul, as well as longer vacations to the beautiful beachesof Turkey. There are some particular daily trips, that Gezici YAK organizes, that are particularly fitting for families (children of any age).One is "swimming with the dolphins" and takes place in Istanbul. The other is a daily trip to a seaside near Istanbul. Check out theirofficial Web site for further information...2. TorYol Boat or any other boat can take you and your family out on a boat trip on the Bosphorus. Trips usually start from Eminonu/Galata Bridge or Ortakoy and last for about 2 hours maximum. They sell simple snacks and drinks on the boat as well. As the journeywill be short and there will be music, it should be well suited for children of any age -unless the rocking boat makes them sick in thestomach...3.Santral Istanbul is a beautiful place to go with your family, especially in the summer. In the summer, they open their big garden, and putout pillows and chairs and sea beds all around for people to relax and enjoy themselves. There are also organized educational activitiesand workshops like painting, yoga -which occur on a daily basis. Supposedly, they also have a grand breakfast menu, so is a goodoption to consider for brunch...4. Istanbul Modern is a modern arts museum that showcases different types of exhibitions -photography, filmography and arts- at thesame time. There are dialogues between artists every now and then, and there are also special workshops for children. My suggestionswould be to go here at a meal time -breakfast or lunch- and enjoy the view of its cafe -vast sea view from 0 kms- before or after paying avisit to the exhibitions...5. The Princess Islands are always a fun excursion for families. Riding on the boat until the islands and then renting a bike on theislands, maybe swimming and sunbathing a little, eating ice-cream before returning and enjoying the banlieue life of the Turkishpopulation would be the fine prints of this trip..

Day 1 - continued...

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.6. Go to the Istanbul Riding Club to pet the horses, watch them or maybe even to ride them...7. Dolmabahce Palace is one of the few historical buildings that you may be able to visit without a hastle. Cool in the summer and warmin the winter, next to the sea, the visit to the Palace is an overwhelming experience of luxury, style and history. Afterwards, enjoy a cup oftea next to the sea...8. A holiday in Turkey should not finish without a proper meal. Gurme Boncuk is a "meyhane" -a tavern- where you could go with yourchildren (better if they are young adolescents). The food is very nice, and the music level is kept under control. There are musicians whoplay soft and old Turkish classics...9. For a traditional and big Turkish breakfast -if you do it the proper way, you will have to skip lunch- go to Sade Kahve. Occasionally,they invite a musician to play soft Turkish classics as well...10. There is not much to see in Galleria itself, as it is a shopping center that is pretty out of way from the major parts of Istanbul.However, when you are with the family, it is always fun to ice-skate a little. And, so Galleria is considerably a nice place to do that.

contact:tel: 90 212 238 5107fax: 90 212 238 4437http://www.geziciyak.com

location:Recep Pasa Caddesi 14/10TaksimIstanbul 34437

1 Gezici YAK

DESCRIPTION: GeziYAK is a tour operator, which hasestablished its existence on the following philosophy: Travellingis living. As such, the tour organizes a variety of differenttours with different purposes and themes into different partsof Istanbul, Turkey and the greater world. The main focus ofmost tours is connecting deeper with nature. Thus, most toursinclude a bit of trekking and walking around; such as raftingand trekking trips to Köprüçay and Antalya, the Taurus Rangersregion on the Mediterranean, as well as skin and scuba divingexpeditions to Saros and Çanakkale. Nevertheless, there arealso gastronomic tours, such as discovering authetic tastesin the old center of Istanbul; daily culture-oriented tours inIstanbul, aiming at finding more about niche activities of thecity's artisans and its culture; ski trips to almost all of the skiresorts in Turkey; and a variety of thematic tours such asValentine Day's tours.© NileGuide

GeziciYAK

contact:http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/go/Istanbul/Sights/Bosphorus/turyol.html

location:Eminönü Ferry DocksIstanbul

TorYol BoatDESCRIPTION: A private boat owners' cooperative namedTurYol operates frequent Bosphorus cruises in Istanbul, startingfrom the Eminönü ferry docks on the west side of the GalataBridge at the mouth of the Golden Horn. TurYol boats departmore frequently than traditional Bosphorus Tour ferries. The1.5-hour TurYol tour brings you right back to the Galata Bridge.(The traditional ferry makes several dock stops along its route,and takes 6 hours for the round-trip voyage.) http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/

go/Istanbul/Transport/eminonu_dox.html


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contact:tel: 90 212 311 5000 / 90 212444 0428fax: +90 212 444 0428www.santraistanbul.org

location:Eski Silahtarağa BektrikSantralı Kazım KarabekirCaddesı No.1Istanbul 34060

2 Santralistanbul

OUR LOCAL EXPERT SAYS:Santralistanbul is founded on the campus of BilgiUniversity and thus during weekdays, it may becrowded with the university students.

DESCRIPTION: The Silahtarağa Power Plant is the firsturban-scale power plant built in Istanbul in the Ottomanperiod. The power plant has been conserved and renovatedby Bilgi University and transformed into a center for cultureand arts under the name of Santralistanbul. Santralistanbul isthus conceived of an educational museum, the power plantmuseum, art galleries, multi-functional areas for workshops ofmany kinds and two cafes: Tamirane and Otto Santral (branchof the Otto Cafe / Restaurant in Asmali Mescit). It is the perfectplace especially for families with young children. The vast openarea and the green garden of Tamirane and Otto Santral allowschildren to run, bike and play; while the families may enjoy anice Sunday branch or lunch, read the daily paper and theirbooks. The quietness of the place is also extremely seductivefor anyone running away from the hectic city life. The daymay be ended by a visual tour around the old power plant -which has been kept as it was (no models have been used forpublic demonstration). For more information about the on-goingexhibitions inside the art galleries, please refer to their website.

SantralIstanbul

contact:tel: 90 212 334 7300fax: 90 212 243 4319http://www.istanbulmodern.org

location:Meclis-i Mebusan Cad. LimanSahasý Antrepo No: 4Istanbul

3 Istanbul Modern

DESCRIPTION: Making its debut in 2004, Istanbul Modern isTurkey's first museum dedicated to displaying contemporaryart. Located on the Sea of Marmara, the museum is a 86,000square foot renovated government warehouse that housesabstract paintings, portraits, sculptures and photographs fromlocal artists and public and private collections. Istanbul Modernfuses Turkish and Western aesthetic influences to create aconnection between Turkish and European institutions of art.Although the Turkish government has offered some assistance,the museum is privately funded by the Istanbul Foundation forCulture and Arts and the Eczacibasi family, who also providesthe permanent collection. Attracting 5,000 visitors daily, oneof the most popular exhibits at the museum is the "Stairwayto Hell" by Monica Bonvicini in 2003, a sculpture featuringchains and bullet-shattered glass. Other exhibits feature workby Fahrelnissa Zeid and Seker Ahmet Pasa. Istanbul Modernwill also offer art history programs for children and adults.Admission is free on Thursdays from 10a-2p, and discounts areoffered for students and groups. © wcities.com

Commons Wikimedia


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location:AdalarIstanbul

4 Adalar (Princes' Islands)

DESCRIPTION: In Turkish, "adalar" simply means "islands" -though adalar are very familiar territory for Istanbulites, whichisland you are referring to is still quite important since manyIstanbullites use the islands as their summer residence andhave a genuine circle of relatives and friends there. Probablythe most popular day trip option from Istanbul, at least in thesummer, the Princes' Islands are comprised of seven smallislands, four of which (Büyükada, Kınalıada, Burgazada andHeybeliada) have constant summertime service by ferry fromKabataş and Bostanci. The islands offer treasures of history(Byzantine churches and Greek and Turkish ruins), greenparks, and various upscale restaurants and hotels. As no carsare allowed onto the islands, you would be better off rentinga horse-backed carriage to go from one part to another; or toarrive on the islands dressed casually and renting a bike. Theislands are a wonderful retreat from bustling Istanbul, each withits own unique character and pace of life. © NileGuide

.

contact:tel: 90 212 276 2056

location:Istanbul Atli Spor KulübüIstanbul Istanbul 80860

5 Istanbul Riding Club

DESCRIPTION: Istanbul Riding Club is a centrally located club in town; what was once the lushvirgin countryside is now surrounded by imposing skyscrapers. Despite the feeling of beingconstantly watched, it's pleasant enough if you're desperate for a quick ride and don't have lots oftime to spare. There is a large track for some fairly unimaginative horse riding. The horses are forhire and riding lessons are available. Some of the staff speak a little English. © wcities.com

contact:tel: 90 212 236 9000fax: 90 212 236 3577http://english.istanbul.gov.tr/Default.aspx

location:Dolmabahce CaddesiIstanbul

6 Dolmabahçe Palace

DESCRIPTION: Imagine a home with 285 rooms, 6 baths(hamam), 68 toilets and a ceiling made of 14 tonnes of gold!The Dolmabahçe Palace built on a reclaimed land is one suchmarvelous structure, built by the Ottoman Sultan, Abdulmecidbetween 1853-1922. A guided tour to this splendid palacewill be an experience, checking out the modern approach toarchitecture with an essentially French influence. The richtastes and splendor of the era is evident in every corner andartifact in the decor. You just can't miss the Bohemian crystalchandelier, the Crystal Staircase or the original bearskin rugs.© wcities.com

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contact:tel: 90 212 245 31 69 / 90 212245 31 69 70

location:Asmalı Mescit Sok. No:29Istanbul

Gurme BoncukOUR LOCAL EXPERT SAYS:Do reserve ahead of time.

DESCRIPTION: Boncuk is a little meyhane (Turkish tavern)with decent price ranges and enormous tastes... It has recentlymoved out from its Nevizade place into the Asmali MescitStreet, the new upcoming bar street to be. Don't go in expecting .


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a vast space filled with tables. Gurme Boncuk is a cozy littlerestaurant for multiple floors -none of which too big. The staffis very friendly and are usually swarming around with hugetrays of food. At times, a sweet, old musician is allowed insideto play best pieces of Turkish classical music on his violin. Itis customary to tip this man if you want him to play especiallyfor you. Try topik (a nice blend of chickpea and a variety ofspices), grilled calamari and mashed peppers. Be sure to askin advance for the "roasted angler fish" -it is so good that itfinishes too soon.

contact:tel: 90 212 358 23 24fax: 90 212 257 29 48http://www.sadekahve.com/

location:Yahya Kemal CaddesiNo:36/1 RumelihisariIstanbul

7 Sade Kahve

DESCRIPTION: One of the best places to enjoy Turkishstyle breakfast with olives, cucumber, tomato, the Turkishtortilla, bagels, various different egg assortments and thehandmade pastry. It is open air and tends to get very crowdedon weekends. Still the wait is worth it and it is not as long as itmay look. .

contact:tel: 90 212 560 8550

location:Galleria Shopping MallIstanbul

hours:10a-11p

8 Galleria Ice Skating

DESCRIPTION: It's a sweltering 35°C in the shade. Feel like some ice? What about an entire rinkfull of it? Ice skating in Istanbul is probably more a retreat from the summer heat than a real sport,but it's popular all the same. Despite their lack of skill, the place is always crammed with cheerfulskaters that seem to spend more time on their posteriors than they do on their feet. Galleria is theonly rink in town open to the general public and it's very relaxed and lots of fun. Ice-skating classesare available in the evenings. © wcities.com

Istanbul Snapshot

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Local InfoIstanbul is such a diverse city that it'salmost impossible to split it up intodefinable districts. The only real distinctionthat can be made is between the Europeanand Asian sides, which are separatedby the Bosphorus Strait. Stretching fromthe Black Sea, straddling across theBosphorus, touching the Sea of Marmara,Istanbul, with an estimated population ofbetween 10-13 million, has become a city ofunlimited scope.

Sultanahmet

Most people who come to Istanbul land feetfirst in Sultanahmet. This peninsula(knownas Sarayburnu) juts out into the Bosphorus,the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara.Rich in history, it's a natural magnetto millions of tourists every year. Thehome of Topkapı Sarayı(Topkapı Palace,Ayasofya(Hagia Sophia), the BlueMosque(Sultan Ahmet Mosque), YerebatanSarayı(Yerebatan Basilica Cistern), andtheAt Meydanı(Hippodrome), Sultanahmetis filled to the brim with hotels, restaurants,cafes, bars, rug stores and cheesy souvenirshops, as well as a plethora of fascinatingmuseums, mosques, markets and historicalsites. The main drag, Divan Yolu, is theheartbeat of the area, and there arehundreds of tiny back streets and alleywaysto explore the history of the old city. Thelabyrinthine Kapalıçarşı(Grand Bazaar/Covered Bazaar) near Istanbul Universityis also on this street. Sultanahmet can bea little intimidating as it is truly catered toonly tourists.(Read: you'll have to learnquickly not to respond to"Hey! Are youAmerican/ English/ German/ Spanish/Italian/ French?") One impressive thingabout Sultanahmet is that the businessmeneach seem to speak every major Europeanlanguage, so if your Turkish isn't up to par,don't fret. Also keep in mind that bargainingwith street vendors or the Kapali Carsi folkis always in order.

Eminönü

Eminönü is a very historical district,which as a result of its secluded locationwithin the peninsula, led to the foundationof Byzantium on this land. The city ofByzantium expanded in all directionsfrom here, leading to the formation of theoldest neighborhoods of Istanbul alongthe Golden Horn. Situated right on the

waterfront on the Golden Horn, Eminönüis a tourist hub, as well as local folks'commercial district, which can easily beaccessed with the tram that runs fromKabataş to Zeytinburnu or with vesselsthat provide public transportation betweenthe two continents of Istanbul. Eminönüis generally buzzing with activity duringthe day, with street peddlers selling youthings you never even knew you wantedor things you never knew existed. The vastMısır Çarşı(Egyptian Spice Bazaar) is themain feature of Eminönü Square andMimarSinan's Yeni Camii(New Mosque) isa familiar landmark with its minaretsstanding tall above the general chaos.Inside the Spice Bazaar is a well knownand cherished old Turkish restaurant,thePandeli, which has been visited by greatmen and women of all times-includingAudrey Hepburn and Queen Elizabetthe Second in 1971. Ferries to the Asianside and thePrinces Islands leave fromthe huge docks lining the shore, whereyou can stop by and have a fresh fishsandwich(balıkekmek, a.k.a"fish& chips")while you wait for your vessel. The SirkeciTrain Station is also here: all trains to andfrom Europe, as well as the famous OrientExpress, begin and end their journeys here.

Beyoğlu/ Taksim

A veritable symphony of occident andorient, Beyoğlu is the pulsating heartbeatof Istanbul's day and nightlife. İstiklalCaddesi-- a paved thoroughfare perpetuallyswarming with Istanbul's colorful hoi polloi--is at the hub of the metropolis while amaze of narrow winding lanes filled withfunky cafés, soulful bars, continentalrestaurants, historic cinemas, prominenttheaters and exclusive shops shoot off inall directions around it. Taksim Square,featuring the impressive Monument of theRepublic, leads the way into Beyoğlu'sbohemian open-air museum, past theGreek Orthodox Aya Triada Church and theFrench Consulate. A quaint old tramwaycarries passengers past the Rumeli Han,Çiçek Pasajı, Cite de Pera, Atlas Pasajı,Galatasaray Lisesi, and several elegantconsulates. Every year the InternationalIstanbul Film Festival, International IstanbulMusic Festival, International IstanbulTheatre Festival and the InternationalIstanbul Jazz Festival are held here andin nearby districts. Beyoğlu, which hasbeen the traditional home of Istanbul's gay

community, hosts various other annualevents, including the Bosphorus Festival,Roxy Music Days, Aksanat Jazz Festivaland the Blues Festival.

Tünel/ Beyoğlu

The Tünel or the Tunnel District, is notfar from its mainland Beyoğlu, but can beconsidered as a separate district given itsexquisite and original character, soul andatmosphere. The Tünel is undoubtedlyIstanbul's"Bohemian Quarter," which notso long ago was perceived as a bad partof town, with its dark deserted streets andcreepy abandoned buildings. However,the area has undergone tremendousdevelopment in recent years. Tiny cafes,live music venues, and open-air restaurantsand bars now quietly coexist with artgalleries, antique bookshops and musicstores, as well as many designers'boutiques and design hotels. A narrowside lane, Asmali Mescit Street, has nowbecome the representative and popularbar scene face of the district. For manyin the city, this street is the only pulsatingcenter on any given Friday and Saturdaynight. With a variety of open-air bars, suchasOtto, Groove, House Cafe and Lokal,people tend to hang around on the streetwith their coats and drinks. As such, it hasalso become impossible to walk casuallythrough this bar street lately.

Karaköy

Around the first century BC, there was atiny village situated on the mini peninsulaof the Golden Horn where the modernsuburb of Karaköy stands today. Thesedays, Karaköy is a bustling port with a livelyfish market, a hectic ferry terminal and ashady nightlife; an intriguing landscape atthe mouth of the Golden Horn. Scores oflocals fish from the Galata Bridge and anarray of vendors peddle all kinds of goodsalong the sidewalks. A vast undergroundmarketplace where you can buy electricalappliances and guns, among other things,provides not-so-safe passage under thebusy road to the entrance of Tünel. Upthe hill is Bankalar Caddesi, an historicalarea filled with banks, art galleries and do-it-yourself stores. All visiting internationalcruise ships dock in Karaköy.

Galata

The Genoese-builtGalata Tower is themost central point here. With its conical-

Istanbul Snapshot continued

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capped tower head, the Tower dominatesboth the skyline and the entrance to theGolden Horn from the Bosphorus. Therenowned Turkish filmIstanbul Beneath MyWings tells the story of Hazarfen Çelebi,who flew from this tower with a home-madepair of wings. The main street, Galip DedeCaddesi, is a hub of activity with shopsselling musical instruments and antiquebooks, and you'll also find a good doseof tiny local restaurants, most of whichwon't be serving alcohol and will closed forthe night-nevertheless a must try for theirexpertise in cooking and the taste of localfood. The Whirling Dervishes have a homehere at the Galata Mevlevihanesi(DervishLodge); the Goethe Institute provides localswith a good dose of culture and art; andthere are countless mosques, churches andsynagogues hidden away in obscure sidestreets.

Golden Horn

Golden Horn is a historic inlet of theBosphorus and a superb natural harborthat has sheltered many Greek, Byzantine,Roman and Ottoman ships for thousandsof years(Wikipedia). The most interestingpart of the Golden Horn district comprisesof the stretch of land between Eminönü andAyvansaray-towards the southern shores ofthe Horn, up as far as Eyüp. The SelimiyeMosque, the Fethiye Mosque, SepetçilerKasrı(the Kiosk of of Basket Weavers,now the International Press Center) andSt. Steven's Church grace the shorelinewhile theKariye Müzesi(Chora Church) andMihrimah Mosque are further inland. Theold city walls start at Ayvansaray and snakeoverland to Yedikapı. During the Byzantineera, the mouth of the Horn was closed bya great chain during times of siege andthreat. The great chain would extend fromSarayburnu to the Castle of Galata(whichwould be in Karaköy in modern times).Mehmet the Second, who conquered thecity in 1453, managed to bypass this chainby using wheeled platforms hauled byoxens to pull his ships over the heightsof Galata into the Horn and thus over thechain.

Beşiktaş and Ortaköy

Beşiktaş is at the center of the three-wayfork that leads up the hill to Levent. It isalso the first stop for public ferries going upthe Bosphorus. The name means"cradle-stone" which stands for the stone broughtfrom Jerusalem by the monk Yashka to

honor his church. The Greek counterpart forthe name of the village was Diplokion(TwoColumns). It may have been either ofthese two name and stories that may haveinspired the Turkish to call Beşiktaş by thisname. There are several places of interestin and around Beşiktaş that can be linkedto Ottoman fleets and admirals. The majorones include the türbe(tomb) of HayrettinPaşa, the türbe of Barbarossa, Sinan PaşaMosque and the Naval Museum. To theinland, Beşiktaş houses a little pretty palacecalled Ihlamur Kasrı or the Linden Pavilionwithin the beautiful Ihlamur Park. Thispalace is where the grandiose era of thetulips were once lived. Continuing up alongthe Bosphorus coast is yet another palace,theÇırağan Palace, now a hotel; and afew hundred meters away from ÇırağanPalace is the Yıldız Sarayı(Palace of theStar) and the Yıldız Park. Ortaköy, on theother hand, is a bustling suburb of Beşiktaşon the waterfront. Bubbling over with cafés,bars, restaurants and tea houses, this areais a popular weekend hangout for locals.Ortaköy's back streets are buzzing withhandicraft stalls filled with trinkets andsouvenirs on summer weekends. This partof town is renowned for its mosque, churchand synagogue within close quarters ofone another. The Bosphorus Bridge spansthe waterway overhead. Ortaköy has alsorecently opened itself for the night life ofIstanbul. The locals' pick for a night out,theAnjelique Club sits here next to theworld knownZuma Restaurant andRadissonHotel.

Bosphorus: Arnavutköy to Sarıyer

TheBosphorus shore on the Europeanside is lined with Ottoman-style mansions,high society hangouts and fish restaurants.There is only one main road and it followsthe shoreline all the way to Zekariyeköy,a suburban residential area, which isno longer very far away from the cityitself. It could well be said that the shoreline starts off from where the GoldenHorn ends in Karaköy, but there is adistinguishable change of air once onearrives to Arnavutköy and continues alongthe shore line in the direction of Yeniköy,Tarabya and Sarıyer. For this reason,when the Turkish people think of EuropeanBosphorus or going by the Bosphorus, theyusually indicate somewhere along the coastof Arnavutköy andSarıyer. The coastlinehere is paved for pedestrians to go joggingor for walking. Recently the municipality

has also introduced somewhat primitivesports equipment and facilities for the publicbenefit. It is very possible to find peoplewalking and working out along the coastearly on a sunny day.

Sea of Marmara Coast: Kumkapı toYedikule

Kumkapı is a distinctly touristy area filledwith over-priced fish restaurants and notmuch else besides views of the sea. Untilrecently, it was mostly reserved to theArmenian community. There are still severalof their churches and community schoolsin this region. The coast road heads outtoward the airport past the old city wallsand Yedikule Fortress. Yedikule translatesitself as"Seven Walls" into English and doesindicate the fortress that once surroundedand protected the city since the Byzantiumera.

Asian Side& Bosphorus: Kadıköy toAnadolu Feneri

Kadıköy is a quieter version of Beyoğluwith a more subdued atmosphere. Italso resemble Beşiktaş in terms of itscommercial activity and daily hectic andbusy life. The tiny cobbled lanes are filledwith restaurants, cafés, bars, cinemas andshops, but most importantly, residents! TheAsian side of town is where most of thelocal population lives; you'll have a hardertime with no Turkish language skills here,but it's worth it to pop over on the ferry andexperience a more relaxed way of life. Thecoast road snakes past Üsküdar, a prettysuburb with plenty of fine examples ofMimar Sinan's work, including the MihrimahSultan and Şemsi Paşa Mosques. SelimiyeBarracks(where Florence Nightingaleworked during the Crimean War) is up onthe hill. Heading toward Anadolu Hisarı,the road winds along the shoreline(whichis less built up than that of the Europeanside). There are plenty of parks and trees,outdoor cafés and restaurants and a stringof historical buildings to explore includingBeylerbeyi Palace, Kuleli Mosque, KuleliNaval Officer's Training School, KüçüksuPark& Kiosk and Anadolu Hisarı. Thepart of the shore from Kanlıca to Kuleli isstreamlined with mansion like, luxury villasand neighborhoods on the hills.

Princes Islands

Princes Islands are an archipelago ofsix islands, where Istanbulites used toreside during the summers in the old times.


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There are especially four islands in theSea of Marmara that still attract crowdsescaping the summer heat: Büyükada,Heybeliada, Kınalıada and Burgazada.Ferries leave from Sirkeci, Kadıköy andBostancı regularly in the summer duringday and night to and fro the islands. Also,in summers, there are faster ferries leavingfrom Kabataş for the islands. There areno cars on the islands and the transporthere is limited to horse-drawn carriages.Each island has plenty of unique offers forleisure, sports and entertainment. There arealso plenty of places to eat and sleep. Atopthe hills of Büyükada and Heybeliada areGreek monasteries with magnificent viewsof the sea and the neighboring islands.

Harbiye-Nişantaşı-Şişli-Mecidiyeköy-Levent

All of these districts are mostly businessand financial centers of the city with afew residential skyscrapers, which socialelites habituate in. The Military Museumin Harbiye is a good landmark from whichto begin exploring Istanbul's business life.Harbiye is also filled with offices of manysmall and medium enterprises, most ofwhich are dentists or tourism offices. Notfar away from Harbiye isNişantaşı, which isthe central shopping district-the so called5th avenue of city. Şişli is strictly a businessdistrict that goes all the way toLeventand beyond toMaslak, both of which arestrictly dominated with office buildings,shopping malls and banks. There is nowan underground metro linking Taksim withMaslak.© NileGuide

HistoryDepending on the background of itsrulers, the city has been called by differentnames over the centuries. Byzantium,Constantinople and Stamboul are amongthe most commonly used and knownnames. In 1930, the city finally received itsofficial name Istanbul, which is also how it iscalled today.Byzantium

A settlement on Sarayburnu wasestablished around 655 BC. The legendhas it that it was founded by a Byzas fromMegara, who stumbled upon this pieceof land while he was sailing northeast onthe Aegean Sea. Triangular in shape, withwater on two sides, the land was a ready-

made fortress. To the north, this peninsulalater to be named the"Golden Horn"(Haliçin Turkish) formed a natural deep-waterharbor. The site offered easy access tothe Mediterranean, Africa and the BlackSea, and lay at the crossroads of mainlandtransit routes crossing Europe and Asia.The small colony's name and foundingwas attributed to this sailor by the name ofByzas, hence the name Byzantium.

The Persians eagerly took control of the cityin 550 BC, followed by the Spartans, thenthe Athenians. The Byzantines developeda series of shrewd alliances and were ableto keep their predatory neighbors at bay.King Philip of Macedon tested the walls andwill of Byzantium for an entire year from340-341 BC.

In 196 AD, the Byzantines backed thewrong side in the imperial Roman powerstruggle. After a prolonged siege, SeptimiusSeverus had Byzantium's walls torn down,the city put to the torch, and much of thepopulation put to death. He then rebuilt thecity on a grander scale with new temples,a colonnaded avenue, and bigger, betterwalls enclosing an area almost twice thesize of the previous city. However, nothingof Severus' city remains today.

Early in the first century AD, the RomanEmpire became too unwieldy to governfrom Rome, and was thus subdivided,one section's capital being Byzantium.Power struggles among the new governorsof the territories of the Roman Empireled to Byzantium becoming a perpetualbattleground. In AD 324, Constantine,governor of Byzantium, defeated hiscounterpart Licinius and set about changingthe course of history. He promotedChristianity and shifted the capitalfrom Rome to Byzantium. In AD 330,Constantine inaugurated his new seat ofpower asNova Roma.

Constantinople

Constantine soon renamed NovaRomaConstantinople and the new emperorwas keen on development. He wasaware that changing the capital of thecity in a sudden whim would have beencostly for his imperial power, and thushe followed a gradual route. The shiftand rebuilding of the city took more thansix years, and the planning of the newcapital was made distinctively differentfrom its old counterpart, Rome. Forinstance, the new capital did not have

all the dignities of Rome and the cityhad a proconsul rather than an urbanprefect. As part of the reconstruction ofthe city, Constantine commissioned thechurch ofHaghia Eirene(the first Christiancathedral) and rebuilt the city walls. Thecenter square, which Constantine namedAugustaeum, known as the Aya Sofyasquare in modern time-also where theHagiaSophia Mosque now stands, was alsoset out in this period. On the south of thisgreat square, Constantine built his GreatPalace(Büyük Saray) and nearby he laidout theHippodrome for chariot races. Theseare some of the greatest and most historicallandmarks that still remain to this day andthey constitute only a very small part ofConstantine's work. Despite little evidenceof Constantine's great works, it is for surethat he laid the foundations for an empirethat was to endure for over 1,000 years.

The beginning of the Empire were notauspicious. On Constantine's death in 337AD, achievement and stability ended. Hissons quarreled over the succession, andthe Byzantine Empire was divided intoeastern and western segments.Theodosius II(408-450), an Eastern RomanEmperor, reinforced the city walls anderected the massiveEgyptian Obelisk,pilfered during a campaign in Luxor.Constantinople began to move towards anew era of greatness, reaching its apexduring the era of Justinian(527-565), an eraof great successes in war, legal reformsand public developments.

Justinian's reign was indeed marked bygreat confidence, and the empire expandedto include most of the Mediterranean coast,including Italy. He embarked on a programof reconstruction, building more than 40churches and immense water cisternslike Yerebatan Sarayı. The crowning glorywas a new cathedral, Santa Sophia. Also,during Justinian's reign, theHippodromeadopted an increasing political significance.As a resemblance of the old traditionsof Rome, the Hippodrome became aplace where people gathered to show byacclamation their approval of disapprovalof the new emperor when he was crowned.These gatherings coupled with a varietyof parties and riots before chariot races;and became a serious political tension.During one of the riots, known as the riotof'Nika', Constantine's basilica St. Sophia,which lay to the north of Augustaeum wasconsumed totally. Justinian commissioned


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a new St. Sophia to be built. This timethe church would be directly connectedto the palace, so that the imperial familywould not have to cross through the streetsto attend ceremonies and services. Thededication of this new Orthodox Cathedraltook place on 26th of December, 537.Justinian also replaced the Church ofHoly Apostles built by Constantine witha new church made of five domes andbeautiful mosaic ornaments. This churchwas demolished after the conquest of thecity by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II tomake room for his tomb.

Between 565 and 717, the city could onlystrive for survival. It was threatened bothfrom the northwest and the south, from theBalkans and from the Persians. The religionof Islam also seized power in those yearsand conquered the eastern provinces of theEmpire. This was followed by a centurieslong Byzantine-Arab wars, during which thecity had to endure several sieges. The wallsof the city were fortified in the 730s by LeoIII.

Byzantine fortunes were restored during thereign of Basil II(976-1025), who expandedthe empire into Armenia and Georgia.Basil's most significant contribution tohistory came in 989 AD when his daughterAnna married Vladimir(Prince of Kiev), andthe pagan prince converted to OrthodoxChristianity.

At the hands of the Ducas and Comnenifamilies, Constantinople became themost decadent city in the world, filled withintermarriage, intrigue, dethronings andmurder. The empire now relied on wealthand diplomacy as opposed to military force.With the Seljuk Turks as the greater threat,Byzantium was forced to enlist the aid ofLatin armies. The Seljuk Turks continuedto expel more threat on the Empire byforming small states along the borders ofConstantinople. Soon, the stronger stateoverwhelmed all the smaller ones andrenamed itself as the State of Osman, afterits chief officer and founder Osman Bey.

State of Osman soon became bigger tobecome the Ottoman Empire and by 1394Constantinople had become a Byzantineisland in an Ottoman sea. The city wasconfronted by the Turkish army at its wallsmany times before Mehmet II conquered itin 1453. Soon after becoming the Ottomansultan in 1452, Mehmet II constructed thefortress of Rumeli Hisarı on the European

shore of the Bosphorus just north of thecity. The fortress was constructed in orderto siege the city when the appropriate timecame.

Istanbul

The conquest of the city in 1453,established the Ottomans as a preeminentEmpire in Southeastern Europe andthe Mediterranean. After this incident,the Empire entered a period of greatexpansion, expanding its borders deep intoEurope and North Africa.

Inside the city, Mehmet the Conquerorencouraged craftsmen and artisans fromBursa and Edirne to move to his new cityand build Topkapı Palace. Soon the newcapital was well-endowed with mosques,hamams and the beginnings of what woulddevelop into the Grand Bazaar.

After Mehmet's death in 1481, his elder sonBeyazıt II won succession. Beyazıt's sonSelim(known as"Selim the Grim" for hishabit of having his grand viziers executed)succeeded him. During Selim's eight-yearreign he presided over significant militaryvictories, adding Syria and Egypt to theimperial portfolio. He quelled a Portuguesethreat to Mecca and was rewarded withthe keys to the Holy City, the sacred relicsof the Prophet, and the title of Caliph,or"Champion of Islam."

Süleyman the Magnificent(1520-66) ruledan empire that covered the spread ofNorth Africa, stretched east to India, androlled from the Caucasus through Anatoliaand the Balkans, to Budapest and mostof modern-day Hungary. Modern historytells that this era was the apex of anOttoman era of glamor and wealth. Underboth Selim and Süleyman's reign, theEmpire became a dominant naval powerin the Mediterranean Sea. The successfulOttoman Admiral Barbarossa HayreddinPasha became famous in these times.

Istanbul became synonymous withgrandeur under Süleyman. He marriedRoxelana and commissioned a promisingyoung architect, Mimar Sinan, to constructthe Haseki Hürrem Mosque complex asa birthday present. This was Sinan's firstmajor commission in Istanbul, launching aglorious career which spanned 50 years,during which time left his indelible mark onthe city and indeed on most major cities ofthe Ottoman Empire.

Süleyman was succeeded by Selim,beginning an era that saw weak sultansmanipulated by their wives and mothersbetween whom there were often violentstruggles for power.

In 1683 the Ottomans failed to recaptureVienna. This marked the beginning of aseries of backward steps for the Ottomans.The Janissaries(once the sultan's finesttroops) were out of control, threatening thesultan and killing ministers, and plagueswere recurrent.

When Selim III took the throne in 1789 hehad a lot on his plate: disobedient guards,ongoing and long-lasting outbreaks ofdisease, economic decline, military defeats,moribund culture and a restless populace.The Janissaries were finally crushedin 1826 by Sultan Mahmut II(1808-39).He implemented much-needed reformsand local government was introduced toIstanbul for the first time, together withthe city's first police and fire services.Quarantine and plague hospitals were alsoestablished.

Abdülmecit(1839-61) continued hisfather's reform programs, namelythe"Tanzimat"(Reorganization) reforms,resulting in what was to be a lastblossoming of the Ottoman Empire.The sultan embraced this new era bymoving out of Topkapı Palace into theimperial palace at Dolmabahçe. TheTanzimat reforms meant to start theeffective modernization of Turkey in 1839by imposing religious equality, liberty andsecurity for all of the Sultan's citizens.Unfortunately, the reforms were notsufficient enough by themselves to haltthe various nationalistic surges aroundthe Empire, especially in the Balkan area.Beginning with Serbian and DanubianPrincipalities, Wallachia and Moldavia alldeclared their unilateral independence.They were followed by Bulgaria's virtualindependence, following the Russian-Ottoman War of 1877-78. In the sameyear, Cyprus was rented to the British inexchange for a record of favors that theBritish granted to the Ottoman Empire inthe Congress of Berlin. The British alsooccupied the Ottoman territory Egypt in1882 under the pretext of bringing in order;and officially annexed both Egypt andCyprus in 1914 during the course of WorldWar I.


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In the interim, Armenians, who had beengranted their own constitution and nationalassembly during the Tanzimat reforms,started to press for more rights andcharges following the Russian-OttomanWar of 1877-78-and in tandem with thegeneral nationalistic movement of thatera. A number of Armenian uprisings andnationalistic movements took place in thefollowing years in various cities of Anatolia.Increasing tension and instability causedthe Ottoman governors to react in not-so-humanized ways. Between 1894-96100,000 to 300,000 people were killed inwhat is known as the Hamidian Massacre.

In 1908, the Second Constitutional Erastarted, which is marked by the worksof Young Turks and the politics of theCommittee of Union and Progress. Thisera is also called as the Era of Dissolution,in which the Empire continued to losemore land, including Libya and more of theBalkans as far as its historic capital Edirne.

The Ottomans entered the First World Warthrough the incident known as"Goebenand Breslau", when they provided refugefor two German ships that were fleeing theBritish fleet. Through the course of WWI,the Empire consistently lost more land.The partitioning of the Ottoman Empire,referred to as the"sick, old man" by theBritish, became solidified by the Treaty ofSevres in 1920.

Atatürk

Beyond debate is Atatürk's status as oneof the most influential political figures of the20th century and a military commander ofunrivaled genius. A true reformist, Atatürkchanged the face of the country. Electedin 1923 as the Republic of Turkey's firstpresident, he installed a modified Latinalphabet to replace the Arabic scriptTurkish previously employed, and he evenmoved the capital from Istanbul to Ankara.Atatürk's new Turkish constitution did awaywith Islamic law, and instead imposedsecular laws largely based on the Italianjustice system. After his death in 1938,chaos ruled. Democracy was reinstatedin the 1960s but there was still no realconsensus on which direction to take: East,West or Soviet-style? In 1980, there wasa huge army takeover. A wave of terrorensued, resulting in over 100,000 arrests,and this dark period in Turkey's history hasbecome the subject of a great number ofTurkish books and films over the years.

Atatürk's popularity is still at anunbelievable high in Turkey-- there arestatues of him on nearly every block ofthe city, and his representations of hislikeness abound in public buildings andprivate homes alike. His face is alsoimprinted on every denomination of Turkishlira-- bills and coins. Though his faceitself may seem to be the most lastingimpression he has left on Turkey, in factit is his secular policies and laws that arestill being studied and fought over today.There is an ongoing and significant strugglebetween secular and non-secular factionsin Turkey. Indecisive elections in 1995resulted in an unpopular center-right Islamiccoalition. Fueled by decades of hatred forthe country's secular institutions, they setabout destroying everything they couldn'tcontrol, bringing the economy to the brinkof collapse. In the interest of avoidinganother army coup, a more stable multi-party coalition was formed.

The Future

A long-awaited metro system, promisingrelief from traffic congestion, is up andrunning. Istanbul's yearly GDP recentlysurpassed those of other major world citiessuch as Berlin, Delhi, Singapore, Vienna,Munich, Stockholm, Cairo, Bangkok andJohannesburg, among others. The moodin Istanbul at the moment is one of muchoptimism and hope.© NileGuide

Hotel InsightsWhether you feel like staying in an Ottomanpalace, a family home, a restored mansion,a traditional wooden house, a convertedprison or a youth hostel, you will certainlyfind all of the above in Istanbul. Followinga recent boom in tourism, Istanbul's hotelsand guesthouses now cater to every tasteas well as all budgets. There are manyhotels catering to tourists clustered aroundthe Sultanahmet area; but business peopletend to prefer the more centrally-locatedTaksim, or the commercial district of Leventand Maslak, or they stick to hotels aroundAtatürk Airport. There are hundreds ofhotels hroughout the city, ranging from thelowliest budget hostels offering the merebasics to luxury five-star hotels with superbfacilities.

Breakfast and 18% KDV(value-added tax)are often included in the price of a room but

it's always wise to check. Tipping hotel staffis very common-- a few lira in the hands ofthe help ensures high quality service.

Sultanahmet

Sultanahmet is overwhelming and tootouristy in parts, but in other parts, itoverflows with history and charm. TheFour Seasons Hotel(located in an oldprison) is the top choice in the area--everyone knows this hotel, which isrenowned for its service, facilities andoverwhelming restaurant. Yeşil Ev is arestored Ottoman mansion with a lushgarden and oodles of charm. The EmpressZoe offers its guests spectacular views ofthe Bosphorus from the rooftop terraceand a 15th-century Turkish bath is locatedin the basement. The family-run KybeleHotel exudes eclectic eccentricity, withthousands of colored-glass lamps hangingfrom the ceiling. The 4 StarHotel Armadais within walking distance of many majorattractions: the Archaeology Museum, theTopkapi Palace, the Church of St. Irene,Sultanahmet Square, the Cisterns, theMuseum of Turkish and Islamic Art, theGrand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. TheHotel Valide Sultan Konagi offers modernfacilities, Ottoman-style, while the AyasofyaPansiyonlari are a string of replica Ottomanmansions lining a quaint cobbled street.The Hotel St Sophia is opposite YerebatanSarayı(Yerebatan Basilica Cistern), behindAyasofya(Hagia Sophia), in the heart ofthe old city. The Turkoman Hotel overlooksthe At Meydanı(Hippodrome) and theBlue Mosque(Sultan Ahmet Mosque). Thecentrally-located Side Hotel& Pensionis popular with low-budget travelers andbackpackers.

Eminönü

Eminönü, at the mouth of the Golden Horn,is a bustling market area. Most hotels hereare conveniently located near the SirkeciTrain Station. The Hotel Yasmak Sultan isa short walk from Sultanahmet Square, theGrand Bazaar and the Galata Bridge. TheOrient Express Hotel offers an alternativelocation near the old city, with excellentviews of the Golden Horn. The RomanceHotel is a newer addition to the gaggle ofhotels with excellent modern facilities.

Beyoğlu

Istanbul's center for culture and arts,Beyoğlu has become a busy hub forbusiness people and tourists alike. Here,


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you'll find the Hilton, the Inter ContinentalCeylan, theHyatt Regency(with its beautifulswimming pool) and one of the mostfamous hotels in Istanbul,the MarmaraIstanbul that boasts an impressive gymwith incredible views of the city and itspeople going on about their daily routines,as well as a variety of live pick pocketscenes. The Marmara Pera hosts thehigh quality, elegant and very deliciouscuisine of theMikla Restaurant, as well asan incredible round view of the city and theBosphorus. TheHotel Euro Plaza(locatednear the British Consulate) designedtheir modern rooms with business peoplein mind. The Hotel Yenisehir Palas isjust a short walk away from a string ofrestaurants, cafés, bars and nightlife. TheDilson Hotel-- with dedicated staff andmodern facilities-- is just a few steps awayfrom the metro and all public transport. Thecharming design hotel 4 Floors Istanbulis a feel-like-at-home apartment suitecomplex, situated in one of the upcoming,trendy neighborhoods, near Kuledibi andKumbaracı Yokuşu.

Tünel

This developing Bohemian quarter playshost to artists and intellectuals. TheAmerican Consulate is also in this area.Travelers from the Orient Express stayedat thePera Palas Hotel, which once playedhost to both Atatürk and Agatha Christie.The elegant Richmond Hotel is superblylocated on the main street and there isa wonderful café(Cafe Lebon) at streetlevel. It is also home to a well-known(yetoverpriced) restaurant called Leb-i Derya.The four-star Mercure Hotel stands overthe Tüyap Exhibition Centre(incidentally,probably the ugliest building in the city)nearby.

Golden Horn-Marmara Sea Coast

This is a sprawling suburban district spreadout along the shore roads of each waterwayand surrounding the old city walls. Out ofthe center, it's the preferred location forbusiness people and tourists with time ontheir hands. Located in Topkapı-- betweenthe old city and the airport-- the BarcelóEresin Topkapı Hotel is a favorite withbusiness people. The Citadel offers guestsmagnificent views of the Marmara Sea,near the fish restaurants of Kumkapı. TheKariye Hotel in Edirnekapi is a restored19th-century Ottoman mansion and the

Asithane downstairs serves very fineOttoman cuisine.

Beşiktaş-Ortaköy

An area of combined business andpleasure, Beşiktaş is laid out on a hill whileOrtaköy spreads itself along the shores ofthe Bosphorus and plays host to thousandsof day-trippers and weekenders in the warmseasons. The most notable hotel in thearea is the elegant Çırağan Sarayı(ÇırağanPalace)-- the luxurious home of theOttoman sultans-- with its spectacularoutdoor pool. TheConrad Hotel, also witha quite luxurious pool is perfectly situatedfor business meetings and conferencesand the Swissôtel atop the hill combinesglorious views of the Bosphorus and thecity with top-quality services and facilities.Radisson Blu Bosphorus by the coast ofOrtaköy offers a combined experienceof the nightlife of Istanbul and relaxingatmosphere of Bosphorus.

Airport Area

For a quick getaway or those tediousmiddle-of-the-night flights, there are severalexcellent hotels situated near AtatürkInternational Airport(Atatürk Havalımanı).Five minutes from the airport is the five-star Polat Renaissance Istanbul Hotel withits ultra-modern décor and views of theMarmara Sea. The luxurious Radisson andCinar hotels are also in the same area.The Ataköy Tatil Köyü is situated on thecoastal road near the Ataköy train stationand caters to campers and caravans.

Asian Side and Bosphorus

The Asian side of Istanbul has a less manicatmosphere than the European side. Whiletourists prefer to stay in the historical areas,business people prefer convenience-- muchof Istanbul's business happens over here.The Harem Hotel overlooks the Bosphorusand caters to young families with its reliablechildcare services. The Bosphorus Pashain Beylerbeyi is similar to an English statelyhome while the Kent is a small, budgethotel located a short walk from the heart ofthe cobbled streets of Kadıköy and the ferryterminals. The Asian side also has plentyto offer for those seeking less business andmore romantic oriented getaways.Sumahanis a boutique hotel in Çengelköy, that hasbeen renovated from an old alcohol factoryby its architect owners. Situated right nextto the coast, the ancient establishment-now a service oriented, friendly hotel- has a

lot to offer in terms of the sea, the sun, thefood and peace. Not far from Sumahan isanother boutique hotel called Aija. Ownedand managed by the Doors EntertainmentGroup, which also manages several othertrendy and cool cafes, bars and loungesin Istanbul, Aija is an old mansion that isplaced literally on the sea and boasts amagnificent view of the Bosphorus.

Bebek

The small town of Bebek does not have alot to offer in terms of lodging, but it doesin terms of lifestyle and trends. The oneand only hotel in Bebek, the Bebek Hotel,is therefore a must-mention for anyonewishing to enjoy the night scene, barscene, cafe scene of the city in the way thatIstanbullites do.

Princes Islands

Set in the Marmara Sea, the islandsattract citysiders escaping metropolitanmadness at weekends. During the week,things are much quieter and discountedhotel rates make a mid-week cruise toparadise even more attractive. Try the MeritHalki Palace on Heybeliada for nonpareilviews of the surrounding sea and the cityin the distance. The Splendid Palace isa historical building that offers superbfacilities on the waterfront at Büyükada.Aya Nikola is another boutique hotel onthe eastern side of Büyükada, offering acombination of nature, forest and the sea.© NileGuide

Restaurants InsightsDining

Turkish cuisine is a rich combination ofOttoman, Balkan, Middle Eastern andMediterranean influences and is thus wellknown for its diverse range of dishes,mostly due to regional variation. Forinstance, the entire Mediterranean coastlineis well known for their fresh fish dishes andvegetable and grass root dishes cookedwith virgin olive oil; while the southeasternregions are famous with their kebab(meat)dishes. Inside the comfort of their kitchens,many Turks tend to be purists in theirculinary taste: each dish is meant tohighlight the flavor of the main ingredient,so you won't find your food smothered insauces and spices. Herbs and spices areused sparingly and singularly: either mintor dill goes with zucchini, parsley goes with


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eggplant and garlic has its place in coldvegetable dishes. However, that shouldnot be taken as a rule of thumb, as thereare a variety of other Turkish dishes, thatare cooked with heavy spices and oil andserved with thick sauces.

Istanbul has become a melting pot of bothlocal and international cuisines in recentyears. In an effort to broaden culinaryhorizons, more and more western-stylecafés, bars and continental restaurantsare popping up all the time. TraditionalTurkish fare is still by far the most popularand there are countless restaurantswhere you can sample local delights. Theprimary aspect of the local eating sceneof the Turkish people is their tendencyto eat slowly over a long period of time.Themeyhane(traditional tavern) experienceis an epitome of long and cheerful eatingand is thus a must for any visitor-- thereare plenty of these to be found all over thecity. For a traditional Turkish buffet-stylerestaurant experience, visitors should askaround for the locallokanta. Vegetariansare also reasonably well catered to by ahandful of restaurants-- just say you wantyour foodetsiz ve balıksız, lütfen(withoutmeat and fish, please).

Fish

The Turks are very proud of their localseafood and rarely import any. Fishis traditionally eaten atmeyhanesaccompanied bymeze(small appetizers andfinger foods) and the local aniseed-flavoredalcoholic beverage,rakı, which is similarto Greekouzo, but more pleasing to thepalate. When Turks go to a fish restaurantor ameyhane, the occasion usually lastsfor hours. Normal 0 0 1 152 872 7 1 107011.1282 0 14 0 0If the gathering occursfor dinner, the evening usually startsaround 7-7.30 P.M. with the early comers.They order theirrakı with a slice of whitecheese and melon. This trio keeps thetable going for at least half an hour until therest of the diners arrive. Around 8.15 P.M.the cold appetizers' tray arrives and thediners cherry-pick the starters. The mostpopular cold starters include: the auberginesalad(made from mashing aubergine andmixing that with various grasses and grassroots), octopus salad with virgin olive oil,mashed peppers(could be hot), stuffedshell fish andfava(fave in Italian, madefrom mashed broad beans). After thecold appetizers, between 8.45 and 9.00P.M. the hot dishes will get ordered. The

most favorite hot dishes include:karidesgüveç(shrimps stewed with rich tomatosauce, pepper and cheese), grilled or friedcalamari, fried shelled fish and sometimesTurkish pastry(paçanga böreği).Most of the popularmeyhanes are locatedin and around Nevizade Street: Sanat,Gideros, Ney'le Ney'le, Boncuk, Imroz,Saki and Degüstasyon. Kumkapı is full ofoverpricedmeyhanes catering to tourists,so avoid them. Apart from themeyhanes,there are also some very good fishrestaurants. Try the little-knownBalıkçıSabahattin in Sultanahmet. Along theEuropean Bosphorus shore, good picksinclude Marina Balık Restaurant on thedock in Kuruçeşme, Rumeliİskele(on theexpensive side) right by the fortress, localfavouriteAdem Baba(no alcohol service)in Arnavutköy, and Del Mare, Kordon inÇengelköy or Balıkçı in Küçükyalı on theAsian side.

International

In some restaurants, it is possible to travelthe world in a meal, while others aremore specialised: Udonya serves superbJapanese, or else get unlimited Chineseat Chinese Unlimited, on the expensivefront Dragon serves high quality anddelicious Far Eastern cuisine samples,try French at theLa Brise, Café de Parisor Cafe du Levant, Tex-Mex at DixieStation, World cuisine atSunset Grill&Bar orMikla, and Indian at Dubb IndianRestaurant& Gallery. C Fischer serves upGerman fare,Mia Mensa, Rosario and DaMario goes Italian,Rejans is Russian, andbothKathisma and Changa serve a bit ofthem all.

Meat and Kebabs

The word"kebab" is synonymous withTurkey, and a vast selection of kebabsand other meat dishes can easily be foundeverywhere you go:Ali Baba in Arnavutköy,for example, is a favorite local chow house.On the European side, Bursa İskender andSark Sofrası in the center of Beyoğlu andCumhuriyet İskembe Salonu in the fishmarket are good picks. Tarihi Selim UstaSultanahmet Köftecisi serves up a meanplate of meatballs(köfte)and Tike is famousfor tender lamb. Recently, there are also avariety of Steak Houses opening aroundthe city. Though it is a recent and rawphenomenon, the Turkish elites seemed tohave liked this new concept of raw meat.

Most frequented steak houses include:Günaydın and Dükkan.

Ottoman

The Ottomans' contribution to world cuisineis magnanimous. A riot of colors, flavors,textures and tastes accompanies eachOttoman-style meal. Check outAsitane inthe Kariye Museum in Edirnekapı,Amedrosin Sultanahmet,Haci Abdullah in Beyoğlu,self-serve yourself inKonyalı in Sirkeci orget bewildered by the elegant decor andservice in its Kanyon branch, visitPandeli inEminönü, and sample the delights of Tuğraat the Çırağan Sarayı(Çırağan Palace) inBeşiktaş.

Turkish Fast Food

The term"fast food" in Istanbul often meansready-cooked wholesome Turkish food.Many restaurants display trays of preparedstews and vegetable dishes in the window.ThePudding Shop in Sultanahmet was thefirst of these in Istanbul. Also try Altin Kupajust around the corner. A La Turka, and BolKepce in Ortaköy are popular, Darüzziyafenear the Süleymaniye Mosque servesthe genuine article, and Ela and Ficcin inBeyoğlu have some good choices too.

Vegetarian

A new trend in Turkey, vegetarianism hashad a slow beginning but there has beensome progress. Nuh'un Ambari, Nature andPeace, Badehane, andZencefil in Beyoğluare just a few of the hot spots for herbivoreson the European side. Also try Hercaiwhilst in Kadıköy on the Asian side. Asfor Slow Food fanatics, lunching at Kantinin Nişantaşı with the Nişantaşı ladies is amust.

Street Food

Europeans and Asians alike seem to loveto feast on the streets, buying delicioussnacks from vendors wheeling carts.Istanbul is no different: a midnight snackcould include stuffed mussels(midyedolma), a fried mussel sandwich, meatballsmade with barley(icli köfte), or evenraw meat(cig köfte).Gözleme(filledpancake) is a favorite lunch-time snack,along with baked potatoes filled withanything you want(kumpir), and evenplain old chicken and rice. Breakfast couldconsist ofsimit(bread rings with sesameseeds),poğaca(cheese- or potato-filledpastry),çatal(a cracker-like snack), ora variety of sweets dripping with syrup,


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honey, and/or rosewater. An unforgettablestreet food iskestane(chestnuts) found inevery corner in winter.

Drinking

A nasty side effect of the rapidly changingcityscape is that drinking dens come andgo with frustrating frequency, and the baryou were at last night may not be theretomorrow; but fear not, as it's not hardto find a new one! Some long standingbars includeSunset Grill& Bar, theMiklaBar, Bebek Hotel Bar and theUlus 29Lounge and Bar. The new bar scene forthe trendy, the cool and the hip-for peoplewatching and to get seen- is happeningaround the Asmalı Mescit Street. Someleading bars there include: Groove,Corner, Faces,Babaylon,Otto and OttoSofyalı. As formahalle bars(neighborhoodbars),Lucca is a long-standing pick fortheBebekli's(those living in Bebek), Eylülistfor those in Arnavutköy and Mavra is for theKuledibi folks. Being neighborhood bars donot make these bars lonely places for thelonely residents, these are all popular barswith local frequenters.

Sultanahmet

More famous for its historical sites andpushy salesmen, Sultanahmet has a fewgood cafés where you can sit and writeyour postcards home. Spend some timeat the Rumeli Café for excellent people-watching. Try Cheers for cheap beer,Fes Cafe for a cup of coffee, snacks oflunch,Sultan Pub for terrace seating, orescape to Hotel Yeşil Ev's garden for apiece of paradise.

Beyoğlu

The café-bar scene changes faster thanmost people can blink."Here today, gonetomorrow" seems to be the motto. However,there are a few hangers-on like Dulcinea,Madrid, Pia, Kaktüs Cafe, and Kemanci.The distinction between"café" and"bar"has become very blurred recently andmost places do a combination of both.Cafés include Yağmur Cybercafé, Lounge,Café Frappé, Kafe Cute,(a popular gayhangout), and 35mm(located in the FitasCinema complex). The best nightclubs-- allthumping out techno until the wee hours--are Switch, Milk, Taxim She, and Orange.Live music venues Roxy and Babylon arethe hottest hits in town at the moment. BarBahçe and Neo are excellent gay bars,while the best gay clubs are Prive and Club

14. Some of the finest wine bars in theworld have popped up recently: check outPano Wine Bar, Şarabı Wine Bar, Vareli, orSappho.

Nişantaşı

Although acknowledged as a shoppingvenue mostly, Nişantaşı does have a lot tooffer in terms of eating and drinking whenwinter time arrives. The historic ReasüransPasajı is filled with box-sized bars, cafesand karoke bars. Abdi İpekçi Street isa line up of chic and posh brasseries,bars and cafes, as well as worldwideknown elegant boutiques of Vuittons andPradas. Its parallel Mim Kemal Öke Streetis developing and becoming on-par withnew cafes such as Den Cafe. Furtherbelow the hill of Nişantaşı, around theAkaretler district, where theW Hotel alsostands, there are also many new cafesand restaurants that add more spark to theelitist lifestyle of the district.

Kadıköy

Less manic than Beyoğlu, Kadıköy has itsown style of nightlife. Rock bar Karga fillsup fast with students, and the Belfast Puband Shaft do live music. If it's coffee you'reafter, Café Antre is mellow and female-friendly and Mosquito Café is fun.

Other Notable Watering Holes

The Wall in Ortaköy fills fast with leather-clad rockers and boppers, up-market CocoPazzo is in Arnavutköy, and the PanoramaBar at the Marmara Hotel has some of thebest views in town.© NileGuide

Nightlife InsightsWhatever the season or the weather thereis always something to do and see inIstanbul 24 hours a day. In spring andsummer time, festivals follow closelyon each other's heels, starting with theInternational Istanbul Film Festival in April.The International Istanbul Theatre Festival,Fujifilm World Music Days, the InternationalIstanbul Puppet Festival, and ConquestWeek Celebrations are held in May, and theInternational Istanbul Music Festival andthe International Bosphorus Festival kickoff in June. The three-day H2000 Festivalis also held in June. The InternationalIstanbul Jazz Festival and the Rumeli HisarıConcerts liven up July and August, and theJ&B Dance& Techno Festival rounds off

the season in September. The coming ofautumn brings the Istanbul InternationalBiennial, Intercontinental Istanbul EurasiaMarathon supported by the Hash HouseHarriers, Akbank Jazz Festival, ARTIST:Istanbul Art Fair, and the Efes Pilsen BluesFestival.

Tickets are easily found at the AtatürkCultural Centre(Atatürk Kültür Merkezi orsimply"AKM"), Vakko or Raksotek for mostcultural events. Biletix and Mydonose selltickets for most performances over thephone and on the Internet. Bar and caféwindows carry fliers and posters of comingevents, and there are always plenty ofposters plastered all over the streets. Dailycinema listings in Turkish can be found inthe newspapers.

Cinema

Although there are almost 100 movietheaters in Istanbul, Beyoğlu is the mostpopular place to catch a film and Cinebonusat Kanyon is the most trendy. CinebonusCinemas are also established in G-Mall inMaçka/ Nişantaşı, in Astoria in Zincirlikuyu/Levent, in Bakırköy, Florya, Fatih and invarious other towns on the Asian side; theytend to feature Hollywood movies most ofthe time. In Beyoğlu, Fitaş is the largestof eleven cinemas in the area, Emek themost elegant, AFM Theater is best forHollywood catches and Alkazar is greatfor alternative films. Lale and Sinepopare newer, more modern buildings, andBeyoğlu, Atlas, and Pera cinemas arehidden in bustling shopping arcades. Forarty films try Yeşilcam, Akademi İstanbul, orthe Tarık Zafer Tunaya Kültür Merkezi(TarıkZafer Tunaya Cultural Centre). Many of thecultural centers also have their own privatescreens, and program listings can be foundin the press.Theater

The attitude toward theater has undergonea radical transformation in recent years,and the number of theaters in the cityis increasing constantly. The IstanbulState Theatre Company offers a broadprogram of classic and contemporaryproductions(including Turkish works) whichare performed regularly in five theaters: tryTaksim Sahnesi and the AKM for starters.More alternative performances can befound at the Istanbul Sanat Merkezi, wherethe co-operation of five different theatercompanies makes for some interestingentertainment. Look out for performances


18

by Kum Pan Ya, Orta Oyuncular, StüdyoTheatre, Tiyatro Oyunevi, and Oyuncular.It is also possible to catch a play in theshopping mall theaters as well. ProfiloMall is a leading establishment, reservingtime slots for a variety of monologues,stand up shows, concerts and theater;and Mars Entertainment Group(owner ofCinebonus Cinemas) has also recentlycooperated with the DOT Theater Groupand has established"Dotmarsta"-an arttheater inside G-Mall.

Art Galleries

The main street in Beyoğlu, İstiklal Caddesi,is packed with art galleries, most displayingcontemporary works. International artistsand mixed exhibitions feature regularly.Every bank has an art gallery or culturalcenter open to the public. Some of thebetter ones are the Aksanat Art Centre,Borusan Culture& Art Centre, PlatformGaranti Contemporary Art Center, andYapı Kredi Kazım. Check out Galata ArtGallery, Dulcinea and Galeri Apel(all privategalleries) in the winding backstreets. TheMaçka, Tesvikiye Nişantaşı area is also richin modern art with Gallery Baraz, GalleryNev, Kas Art Gallery, Milli Insurance ArtGallery, the Pamukbank Photo Gallery, TemArt Gallery, and the Tesvikiye Art Gallery.

Live Music

Istanbulites flock in droves to liveconcerts at open-air venues such as theCemal Toplu Open Air Amphitheatre inHarbiye(known asHarbiye Açık Hava by thelocals), Park Orman in Maslak, and varioussporting arenas where live internationalconcerts are held. Local rock and metalbands perform live in bars like HayalKahvesi, Jazz Stop, Kemancı, and Mojo.Roxy hosts a wide variety of live music, andfor world music head to Shaman. Jazz fansmight also love Gramofon and the opulentIstanbul Jazz Center in Ortaköy.Babylonalso hosts a variety of Jazz artists aroundthe year.

Ballet and Opera

Turkey has no long tradition of Westernperforming arts, and opera and balletremain the preserve of the upper classesor educated elite. The Istanbul StateOpera and Ballet Company do theirbest to provide a full program everymonth despite a severe lack of fundsand public support. Classics such asTheNutcracker Suite,Swan Lake, andCarmen

are performed regularly. You can afford tomiss them.

Classical Music

Classical music is a less common artform in Istanbul. While the InternationalIstanbul Music Festival brings togetherinternationally acclaimed musiciansand local musicians, large audiencesare still hard to come by. For a decentdose of classical culture try the AtatürkCultural Centre, Hacı Ömer Hall, andthe Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall whereregular performances by the IstanbulState Symphony Orchestra, AkbankChamber Orchestra, and Borusan IstanbulPhilharmonic Orchestra take place. TheAya İrini is also a magical location forlocal and international classical musicperformances.

Museums

Planning to visit all the museums in Istanbulcan be a monumental task. Some ofthe best ones include the fascinatingArchaeology Museum and the intriguingRahmi Koç Industrial Museum with allits interactive displays. For history buffs,theKariye Müzesi(Chora Church), theMosaic Museum, the Calligraphy Museum,and the Museum of Turkish& Islamic Artswould be the places to start. For modernand military history try the Atatürk Museum,the Naval Museum, and the MilitaryMuseum. The old electric power plant isnow exhibited in Santral Istanbul in Eyüp,where also varied workshops regularly takeplace on weekends. The Sabanci Collectionhouses a magnificent display of Ottomanart as well as temporary exhibitions ofWorld art, and the Vakiflar Carpet Museumis perfect for rug enthusiasts!

Sightseeing

Pretty much everywhere you turn in the city,historical sites abound. It's impossible tosee all of them, but some that shouldn't bemissed are the Sultan Ahmet Camii(BlueMosque), Topkapı Palace, YerebatanBasilica Cistern, and the Ayasofya(HagiaSophia). The Bosphorus cruise to AnadoluKavaği is fabulously relaxing. ÇırağanPalace and Dolmabahçe Palace are both inBeşiktaş, as well as the Yıldız Palace andPark, where you may jog, walk or picnic.Some of the most beautiful mosques aretheSüleymaniye Mosque, Fatih Mosque,and the picturesque Ortaköy Mosqueunder the Bosphorus Bridge. Stroll around

theAt Meydanı(Hippodrome), SoğukçeşmeStreet, and Gülhane, or drink wine againstthe scenery of the city on Pierre Loti Hill.Visit the great fortress of Rumeli Hisarıoverlooking the Bosphorus, or shop untilyou drop in the Grand Bazaar. Kız Kulesiand Beylerbeyi Palace can be found on theAsian side.©

Things to Do InsightsThe best way to see most of Istanbul ison foot. What seems to be a somewhatformidable task is simplified by breakingeach walk down into smaller sectionsof the city. The most touristy but alsohistorical part of town is the old city,Sultanahmet,where at every turn you aregreeted with a museum or a mosque.The European and Asian sides of theBosphorus shore are rich in historicaltreasures just waiting to be discovered. Theshores are also perfect for relaxing longwalks and Sunday brunches. Old Pera,or Beyoğlu, deserves its own separatetour. Galata, Tünel and Kuledibi areworth devoting another full day for a fullexperience of the upscale bohemianheadquarters. The Bosphorus is wellworth exploring by boat, as are the PrincesIslands. There are also several placeswhich can be visited on day trips out oftown.

Sultanahmet to Beyazıt

The old city of Sultanahmet is one ofthe world's most fascinating open-airmuseums. At the edge of the park betweenthe magnificentAyasofya(Hagia Sophia)and theBlue Mosque(Sultan AhmetMosque), the Baths of Lady Hürrem(atwin hamam-turned-carpet shop) presideover the surrounding areas. Çinili Köşk,Aya İrini, andTopkapı Palace(with itsharem, massive kitchens, and relics ofthe prophet) are down to the right ofAyasofya whileYerebatan Sarayı(YerebatanBasilica Cistern)-- an ancient Romanaqueduct-- is on the street to the left;the upside-down head of Medusa in thiswatery museum is not to be missed. The300-year-oldCağaloğlu Hamam is alsodown this street. Behind Ayasofya isSoğukçeşme Sokak-- a tiny cobbled alleylined with Ottoman-style townhouses, andthe Archaeology Museum is behind it onOsman Hamdi Yokusu. The busy ArastaBazaar and the fascinating Mosaic Museum


19

can be found right behind the Blue Mosque.TheAt Meydanı(Hippodrome) opposite themosque welcomes guests with itsEgyptianObelisk and Serpentine Column. Nearbyare Kaiser Wilhelm's Fountain and İbrahimPaşa Sarayı(İbrahim Paşa Palace). TheTourist Information Office is here too. Asyou head down Divan Yolu towards Beyazıt,you will see the historicalÇemberlitaşHamam beckoning you in for a goodscrub. The Çemberlitaş("Burnt Column")is in the square outside the hamam.Hidden behind the walls of the Atik AliPaşa Medresesi are a number of Ottomancemeteries and tombs within, as well assecluded tea gardens that serve sweettea and a choice of flavored tobaccos foryour nargile(water pipe or hookah). ThelabyrinthineGrand Bazaar, with its 4,000shops, needs almost a whole day dedicatedto it. The Nuruosmaniye Mosque is nearby.Picturesque Istanbul University is justaround the corner, as is the CalligraphyMuseum and the bustling Russian Bazaar.One of the most beautiful mosques in theworld, theSüleymaniye Mosque, presidesover the area from the top of the hill. Downthe hill from Sultanahmet Square towardGülhane, theEgyptian Spice Bazaar andtheYeni Camii(New Mosque) stand onEminönü Square, overlooking the GoldenHorn and the ferry terminals.

Beyoğlu to Karaköy

Istanbul's famous Grand Rue de Perahas long since gone. In its place isİstiklalCaddesi, the main pedestrian thoroughfarein Beyoğlu. Majestic Ottoman buildingsline the street, bumping up against garishmodern architecture in a wild dancemanifesting the struggle between thedecadent and the sublime. Taksim Squarefeatures the Monument to the Republic, andnearby is the tourist information office. Themagnificent Greek Orthodox Aya TriadaChurch and the French Consulate are alsoclose at hand. The historical Alkazar andEmek Cinemas hum with film lovers of allages. This is also home to the neoclassicalCite de Rumeli, the Circle d'Orient, AnadoluHan, and the Cite d'Alep. The SurpAsdvadzadzin(an Armenian church) ison Sakiz Agaci Sokak. Further down thestreet are Atlas Pasajı and Beyoğlu Pasajı,Çiçek Pasajı in the Cite de Pera and theFish Market. Riotous Nevizade Sokakis here too. The American and BritishConsulate buildings are on MesrutiyetCaddesi and the elegant Russian and

Swedish consulates are on İstiklal, pastthe cavernous Church of Saint Anthony.The famousPera Palas Hotel is behindAsmalimescit. TheTünel is the oldest metroin continental Europe, and the red Taksimtram is the only one of its kind still running.TheGalata Mevlana Evi(Dervish Lodge)is down Galip Dede Street towardGalataTower. Much of the former glory of the littlevillage of Karaköy has been lost, althoughthere are still a few old bank buildings alongBankalar Caddesi. Also in the area areKirkor Lusavoriç(the Church of St Gregorythe Illuminator), Kılıç Ali Paşa Mosque andHamam, and the Mimar Sinan UniversityCulture and Arts Center. The dock is alsohome to several fish restaurants and theferry wharves.

Outside the City

Classic Journeys offers a guided tourof Istanbul and theTurquoise Coast.Private Turkey Tours offers a varietyof tour packages, including cruises toIstanbul, Ephesus, Gallipoli, Bodrum andCappadocia. Istanbul Sightseeing alsooffers high quality private and group toursaround the historical center with tourvans and guides who can speak foreignlanguages.© NileGuide

Travel TipsGetting There:

By Air:

Atatürk International Airport(IST)

Atatürk International Airport(http://www.ataturkairport.com) has numerousairline service providers including:

Air France(+90 212 663 0600/ http://www.airfrance.com)

Blue Air(+40 40 21 208 8686/ http://www.blueair-web.com)

British Airways(+90 212 663 0501/ http://www.britishairways.com)

Condor( +1 800 524 6975/ http://www7.condor.com)

Corendon Airlines(+32 2 722 94 94/ http://www.corendon.com)

Delta Airlines(+90 212 663 07 52/ http://www.delta.com)

Egyptair(+90 212 663 3301/ http://www.egyptair.com.eg)

Emirates Airlines(+90 212 663 0708/ http://www.emirates.com)

Germanwings( +44 870 252 1250/ http://www1.germanwings.com)

KLM(+90 212 465 4287/ http://www.klm.com)

Lufthansa(+90 212 663 0595/ http://www.lufthansa.com)

Qantas(+90 212 240 5032/ http://www.qantas.com.au)

Swissair(+90 212 663 6676/ http://www.swiss.com)

SA Express(+90 212 246 6075/ http://www.saexpress.co.za)

Turkish Airlines(+90+90 212 444 0849/http://www.thy.com)

Transportation leaving the airport includes:

To Taksim Square:

Buses run daily at 6a and at every halfhour between 7a and 11:30p. A stop is alsomade in Aksaray.

To Bakirköy& Bostancı:

A bus leaves the airport to interceptthe"flying boat," which arrives at Bakirköyfrom Bostancı.

To Akmerkez(Etiler):

Buses run daily between 7a and 9p everyhour on the hour.

To Kozyatağı:

Buses run daily between 4a and 10p. Astop is also made in Kızıltoprak.

Taxi services can be found outside thearrivals area of TAV.

Some of the major car rental companiesinclude:

Avis(+90 212 465 4550/ http://www.avis.fr)

Budget(+90 212 663 0858/ http://www.budget.fr)

Hertz(+90 212 663 0807/ http://www.hertz.fr)

Sabiha Gökçen Airport(SAW)

Sabiha Gökçen Airport(+90 216 585 5000/ http://www.sgairport.com/havaalani/eng/start.asp) is a tiny airport on the Asian


20

side of the city that services just a fewairlines, and there are just a few flightsat a time. Keep in mind that flights fromthis airport often fly you to smaller, lesser-known airports in whatever your destinationcity may be; however, this is the airport youfly out of if you want a really cheap ticket!

Airlines servicing SAW include:

Germanwings(+44 870 252 1250/ http://www1.germanwings.com)

Easyjet(http://www.easyjet.com)

Turkish Airlines(+90 212 444 0849/ http://www.thy.com)

Pegasus Airlines(+90 444 0737/ http://www.flypgs.com)

Corendon Airlines(+32 2 722 9494/ http://www.corendon.com)

Montenegro Airlines(http://www.montenegro-airlines.cg.yu)

Blue Wings(+49 2 11 42 16 8060/ http://www.bluewings.com/bwg)

Hapag Fly(+49 511 2200 4713/ http://www.tuifly.com/de/index.html)

MyAir(+44 207 365 1597/ http://www.myair.com/docs/cust/en/index.shtml)

Condor(+1 800 364 1667/ http://www10.condor.com/tcf-us/index.jsp)

Air Arabia(http://www.airarabia.com)

Getting out of Sabiha Gökçen Airport:

Taxis are available outside the terminal.

The Haydarpaşa-Gebze Express shuttleregularly departs from/ arrives at PendikTrain Station(at SAW itself-- just ask atairport information). There are also regularsuburban services.

Havaş: Ask at the airport informationdesk for the Havaş(airport shuttle) serviceschedule.

Bus(IETT): Ask at the airport informationdesk for bus schedules.

By Train:

Not as popular a mode of transport asbuses, with a much smaller network,there are rail connections from Istanbulto Ankara, Izmir and Eastern Anatoliancities. Reservations are essential for thesetrips, and there are several classes ofseats and sleepers. International services

from Sirkeci(+90 212 527 0050/51)(on theEuropean side) and Haydarpaşa(+90 216336 0475/2063)(Asian side) stations includeVienna, Munich, Budapest, Thessaloniki,(via Eskisehir, Konya, and Gaziantep),Aleppo(via Tatvan and Van), Tehran,Moscow and Bucharest.

By Bus:

Istanbul is well-connected by bus to everypart of Turkey. Buses are frequent andthe main coach station, Otogar(+90 212658 0505) is at Esenler. There are variousindependent bus companies, all of whomhave a ticket office at the station.(Thelarger ones have offices dotted aroundtown, especially in areas like Taksim,Sultanahmet, Beşiktaş and Bostancı.)Prices vary slightly depending on the qualityof the vehicle.

By Car:

From the northwest, take route D020southeast. From the southwest, follow routeD100 northeast.

Getting Around:

Within the European Side: Istanbul's mainbus terminal is Büyük Otogar(+90 212658 0505) in Eminönü. There are alsoshared taxi-vans calleddolmuş(literallymeaning"stuffed"!), which can take youanywhere around town. Other optionsinclude a tramway, a subway, a cable carfrom Karaköy to Beyoğlu and a tiny electrictrolley from Beyoğlu to Taksim.

Within the Asian Side: The dolmuş andbuses are generally the way to go forcheap; taxis are also generally easy to find.

From Europe to Asia and Back: MostIstanbulites rely on the ferries for theirintercontinental travel; indeed, this is thebest way to see the beautiful Haydarpaşatrain station, the Kız Kulesi, and the oldmansions lining the European coast. Onthe ferry, you are out in the open seaair that is so much a part of Istanbul'soverall atmosphere. Other options forintercontinental travel are a smaller, fasterseabus, or a regular bus from BüyükOtogar(Eminönü) or Bostancı(Kadıköy)over one of the bridges.© NileGuide

Fun FactsFun& Interesting Facts:

1. A historical fact about Istanbul is that itwas founded on Seven Hills. An interestingfact that ties up with this is that in most localsongs you hear a reference to Istanbul'sseven hills.

2. A well-known, yet an important fact isthat Istanbul serves the role of a bridgebetween two continents: Europe and Asia.

3. Istanbul is surrounded by Sea all aroundwith the Bosphorus cutting it through. Withso much water around, you may havethought that the climate would be mildyear round. However, snowfall is actuallycommon in Istanbul. The average annualsnowfall is sometimes 18 inches.

4. This year(2010) Istanbul is one of threeEuropean Cities of Culture.

5. A weird fact is that Istanbul has beencapital of the Roman Empire, the ByzantineEmpire, the Latin Empire, and the OttomanEmpire; yet it isn't the capital city of modernTurkey. Ankara is the capital city of Turkey.

6. Grand Bazaar is as its name alsosuggests quite"grand". It is the biggestold covered bazaar in the world, with over3.000 shops.

7. A very interesting fact about Istanbulis that Agatha Christie wrote her famousnovel"Murder on the Orient Express" atPera Palas Hotel in Istanbul.

8. Going into sacred places, such as themosques, one would have to remove theirshoes.

9. Istanbul is as large as Belgium itself withalmost the same population number-couldbe even more crowded...

10. A fun fact about Istanbul is that everyone living in this city complains about oneanother, the traffic, the way things get done;but yet they would not go out of here to livein another city.

11."Istanbul'un taşı toprağı altındır./Istanbul's soil and stone are golden." Thisis an interesting phrase from the mid 50sthat has brought many people out from theirvillages into Istanbul.

12. There are lots of street animals inIstanbul-not so common a trait in Europeand the US.© NileGuide


21

Weather

Statistics Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Temperature C

Average High 8 8 11 16 21 26 28 28 25 19 14 10

Average Mean 6 5 8 12 16 21 24 24 21 16 11 8

Average Low 3 3 5 8 12 17 20 20 17 13 8 6

Temperature F

Average High 47 47 52 61 70 79 84 83 77 67 58 50

Average Mean 43 42 46 54 62 71 76 76 70 61 53 46

Average Low 39 38 41 47 55 63 68 69 63 56 48 43

Rainy Days 12 10 9 6 5 4 3 4 5 9 2 15

Rain Fall (cm) 4.6 4.8 4.1 3.4 2.2 2.1 1.7 1.8 2.8 4.9 5.9 7.2

Rain Fall (in) 1.8 1.9 1.6 1.4 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.7 1.1 1.9 2.3 2.8

© NileGuide

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Best of Things to do as a Family - Luxury Link...However, when you are with the family, it is always fun to ice-skate a little. And, so Galleria is considerably a nice place to do