Two Days in Istanbul

Quote: For our second dinner in Istanbul, we found the restaurant by following our preferred way to find a place to eat in Europe– ignore guide books and internet recommendations and strike out on our own to find a place to eat that’s near our hotel because after a day of sightseeing, we don’t’ want to put to much energy, which we don’t have, into finding a restaurant. And because it more of adventure, and it seldom disappoints, to find something on your own rather than follow the advice of others.
So we headed out from our hotel to what we hoped would be the nearest restaurant. There is cluster of upper end hotels– Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, Hilton, and Intercontinental just downhill from Taksim Parki, a park at the east end of Taksim Square, which is a giant bus station that is the center of modern Istanbul. Taksim is on the hill across the Golden Horn from old Istanbul, and was settled by foreigners from other European nations in the 19th Century.
With a little exploration over our three nights in Istanbul, we found there was a concentration of restaurants, mostly Turkish, at the end of Taksim Parki farthest away from Taksim Square. Look for Lamartin Caderi street on your map, which is in the center of this restaurant area.

Her nicely seasoned chicken kebobs were accompanied by room temperature plain white rice with no seasoning and limp French fries that were nowhere near hot enough. The kebobs were piping hot, the fries were cold, so we could not decide if the rice was supposed to be hot or not, but whatever the intended temperature was, it did not impress.

The Mixed Grill was also a mixed bag. It included two types of meatballs and three kebobs– one each of lamb, beef and chicken. The meats were great. The rice was room temperature, and the salad basic greens with an oil and vinegar dressing with no spices for added flavor, satisfactory but nothing outstanding.

The extensive menu had a lot of Turkish dishes and pizzas.

The decor was very plain, but bright and clean. There tables outside on the street and inside, a few steps below ground level. We went inside and sat at the front window where we watched a native puff a hookah while the charcoal peddler periodically replenished the burning charcoal that made the thing smoke.

Service was prompt and attentive. No problems there.

In someways it is hard to access the restaurant because the uniquely Turkish parts of the meals– the kebobs and meatballs, were terrific. The accompaniment-- rice, potatoes, and salad-- which are hardly unique to Turkish cuisine, were fairly bad. Offsetting the inconsistency of the food were the remarkably low prices. I would consider going back, but considering food quality alone, I would prefer a repeat visit to either of the other places where we ate dinner in Istanbul.

We found the restaurant by following our preferred way to find a place to eat in Europe– ignore guide book and internet recommendations and strike out on our own to find a place to eat that’s near our hotel because after a day of sightseeing, we don’t’ want to put too much energy, which we don’t have, into finding a restaurant. So we headed out form our hotel to what we hoped would be the nearest restaurant. There is cluster of upper end hotels– Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, Hilton, Intercontinental just downhill from Taksim Parki, a park at the east end of Taksim (pronounced tack-seem) Square, a giant bus station that is the center of modern Istanbul. Taksim is on the hill across the Golden Horn from old Istanbul, and was settled by foreigners from other European nations in the 19th Century.
With a little exploration over our three nights in Istanbul, we found there was a concentration of restaurants, mostly Turkish, north of the end of Taksim Parki farthest away from Taksim Square. Look for Lamartin Caderi street on your map, which is in the center of this restaurant area. This area is reasonably convenient to most of the hotels in the Taksim area, and easy to get to if you are staying in any of the many hotels in Bayoglu (Taksim area).

If you are staying in the old city (Sultanhamet) on the other side of the Golden Horn, public transportation by the modern tram is an easy way to get to Taksim Square and the restaurant area. Take the tram to the end of the line a couple blocks short of Dolmabahce Palace and transfer to the Taksim funicular. At the end of the line, cross Taksim Square and head to your right, toward the north side of Taksim Parki. The restaurant area covers several streets north of Taksim Parki.
This trip required two tram tickets, a total of about $1.40 in April, 2010.
Although we never did it, there is an alternative, route that goes by different scenery. Leave the tram a the first stop after crossing the Golden horn and transfer to the Tunel funicular. At the end of the line, the first stop, transfer to the historic trolley running down the center of the pedestrian street, Istiklal Caddesti to the end of the line, Taksim Square. This requires at least two metro tickets, maybe three, but the historic tram might be no charge. 

Quote: For our second dinner in Istanbul, we found the restaurant by following our preferred way to find a place to eat in Europe– ignore guide books and internet recommendations and strike out on our own to find a place to eat that’s near our hotel because after a day of sightseeing, we don’t want to put to much energy, which we don’t have, into finding a restaurant. And because it more of adventure, and it seldom disappoints, to find something on your own rather than follow the advice of others.
So we headed out from our hotel to what we hoped would be the nearest restaurant. There is cluster of upper end hotels– Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, Hilton, and Intercontinental just downhill from Taksim Parki, a park at the east end of Taksim Square, which is a giant bus station that is the center of modern Istanbul. Taksim is on the hill across the Golden Horn from old Istanbul, and was settled by foreigners from other European nations in the 19th Century.
With a little exploration over our three nights in Istanbul, we found there was a concentration of restaurants, mostly Turkish, at the end of Taksim Parki farthest away from Taksim Square. Look for Lamartin Caderi street on your map, which is in the center of this restaurant area.

We started our meal at with an appetizer plate (mezes) that came with French fries, the best of the trip, which were nice and crisp with good flavor; some decent meatballs, but not as good as we had the night before at The Flamingo Restaurant; superb onion rings; and something like spring roll that was excellent. She had a chicken salad, a large serving of fairly commonplace chicken salad– nothing bad about it, but nothing outstanding either.
I had an excellent meal called pan roast lamb– chunks of lamb mixed with onions and mushrooms in an excellent tomato based sauce accompanied by nicely flavored rice, an unquestionably recommendable dish. I’d call it stew.
We ordered one Banana Split for dessert, which was plenty for two people to share. The Banana Split is a spectacular dish, three scoops of ice cream– chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, toped With chocolate sauce surrounded by two banana halves with it all surrounded by a circle of chopped pistachios and topped off with whipped cream. It was served on an oval platter bigger than the dinner plates.

The menu offered a good selection of Turkish dishes and things like Chicken Salad and pizza..

Service was fast and competent. The Riva Turzim was unique in the neighborhood in that it did not have shill out on the street urging you to come in.

The Riva Turzim is located in the Riva Hotel on the corner of Aydede Cad. The main dinning room is L shaped going around the corner of the building and only two tables wide. We had a window table, which half the tables were, and the rest of the tables were only a few feet further from the window. The window view provided some entertainment while we were waiting for our food. First, a bus load of tourists arrived to check in at hotel about half a block down the street. However, the street where the hotel was located was a pedestrian only cobblestone street, and watching the new arrivals struggle down the cobblestones with their rolling luggage was amusing.
Then a truck drove up beside the ATM machine across the street. Three guys got out, and muscled the ATM into the truck. Probably repair men and not thieves, but it was something to speculate on-- the most notable Istanbul heist since Topkapi?

Decor is modern basic, not unattractive, but nothing to write home about either.

Service was fine, with no language problem. Unlike the Restaurant the night before where we had to buy a bottle of water to have something to drink, the restaurant brought us glasses of water before the food came.

We found the restaurant by following our preferred way to find a place to eat in Europe– ignore guide book and internet recommendations and strike out on our own to find a place to eat that’s near our hotel because after a day of sightseeing, we don’t’ want to put too much energy, which we don’t have, into finding a restaurant. So we headed out form our hotel to what we hoped would be the nearest restaurant. There is cluster of upper end hotels– Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, Hilton, Intercontinental just downhill from Taksim Parki, a park at the east end of Taksim (pronounced tack-seem) Square, a giant bus station that is the center of modern Istanbul. Taksim is on the hill across the Golden Horn from old Istanbul, and was settled by foreigners from other European nations in the 19th Century.
With a little exploration over our three nights in Istanbul, we found there was a concentration of restaurants, mostly Turkish, north of the end of Taksim Parki farthest away from Taksim Square. Look for Lamartin Caderi street on your map, which is in the center of this restaurant area. This area is reasonably convenient to most of the hotels in the Taksim area, and easy to get to if you are staying in any of the many hotels in Bayoglu (Taksim area).
If you are staying in the old city (Sultanhamet) on the other side of the Golden Horn, public transportation by the modern tram is an easy way to get to Taksim Square and the restaurant area. Take the tram to the end of the line a couple blocks short of Dolmabahce Palace and transfer to the Taksim funicular. At the end of the line, cross Taksim Square and head to your right, toward the north side of Taksim Parki. The restaurant area covers several streets north of Taksim Parki.
This trip required two tram tickets, a total of about $1.40 in April, 2010.
Although we never did it, there is an alternative, route that goes by different scenery. Leave the tram at the first stop after crossing the Golden horn and transfer to the Tunel funicular. At the end of the line, the first stop, transfer to the historic trolley running down the center of the pedestrian street, Istiklal Caddesti, to the end of the line, Taksim Square. This requires at least two metro tickets, maybe three, but the historic tram might be no charge. 

Quote:
This hotel review starts with a story from a restaurant in another country to make an important point. We went to a two star Michelin restaurant in France having already decided to order the house speciality recommended in the Michelin Red Guide, a desert, "Le Coupe Alsacian." I ordered our two entrees and two Coupes. The waiter stopped writing, closed his order book, looked at us and said "No." He continued, "Not two. It is too large. One is enough for two or three people. I shall put down one." And so he did, and one came. We ate. He was right. One was enough for two or three people. When was the last time a waiter in an American restaurant refused to let you spend $35? That is an example of good service– of the staff looking out for the customer’s best interests– and good service is what we found at the Istanbul Ritz-Carlton.

On checking in at the Ritz Carlton, I asked the reception agent if our room was "no smoking" as requested because, the night before, we had been put in a smoking room in Plovdiv despite having a confirmed reservation for a no smoking room (quickly fixed at the front desk, but a hassle). The desk clerk answered "We have you in a smoking room. We can change it, but let me suggest that you first take a look at the room and see if it is acceptable as it is a suite."
So we checked. There was no smell of smoke in the air, no smell of smoke on the drapes, no smell of smoke in the bedding. We stayed, because this park view suite went beyond being a nice room. Going by the number of doors inside the suite that opened up the various rooms, it was a six room suite– bedroom, living room, a small bathroom, and a large bathroom with separate rooms for the tub, the shower, and toilet.
There were two large screen TVs, one in the bedroom, another in the living room. The living room was furnished with a desk and desk chair, an arm chair, a small couch, and a coffee table. The mini-bar was in the entrance hallway.
The bedroom had a King size bed with six pillows, an arm chair, a bureau, and a large closet. The small bathroom off the entrance hall had a large sink and counter and a toilet. The large bathroom contained three rooms. The main room held the sink and tub, and was larger than the entire bathroom in many hotels. There were separate chambers for the toilet and shower. Both bathrooms had marble floors and walls. The rooms were decked out with lots of little amenities like shoe polish, tooth brush, tooth paste, comb, and assorted creams and glop to clean you. Bottles of water were all over the place.
We hunted for the telltale smell of smoke– sniffed the air, sniffed the curtains, sniffed the bedding– no smoky smell at all. We informed reception that room 821 would do just fine.
Although not perfect, three night in this room were a highpoint in all our hotels stays. When we got home, I looked up the price of the room on the web. It started at $600 a night. We would like to know why the Ritz upgraded us from our purchased standard room, group rate so that we make it happen again, but nobody had an explanation. Sometimes these things happen. When they do enjoy them.
Now back to the clerk at the front desk. When I asked for a "no smoking" room, att he needed to do was push a few keys on his computer, and be rid of us. We would have sever known what we had missed, but he didn’t take the easy way out. Like the waiter in France, he went above and beyond to take care his customers. This what good service is all about, and hope you find some wherever you travel.

The room had a superb, very comfortable bed. Everything was sparkling clean. The bottled water was replaced at least twice a day. Although overlooking a major street, the room was very quiet. It was therefore surprising that the widow curtains were not capable of darkening the rooms. Enough light came in through the closed curtains that I could see shadows in the room in the middle of the night. She liked the standard pillows on the bed, but I found the requested firm pillows to be rather lumpy. Considering the effort that went into designing the room to provide every comfort and its high price, it was out of character for the curtains to be insufficient and to not have access to a memory foam pillow.

The font desk quickly answered all our questions. The spacious lobby had a number of comfortable chairs. Every afternoon, a liveried footman stood by to hand returning guests a glass of chilled cherry juice– very refreshing after a day of sightseeing.

Our room included a daily buffet breakfast served in the main Restaurant whose tall windows overlooked the Bosporus. The buffet spread was extensive, and of the highest quality with one oddity– no ham was offered, a standard at hotels in Europe. Perhaps there was a religious compromise– they had bacon, but no other pork. Eggs were cooked to order at the buffet and soft boiled eggs were timed to be sure they came out right. I would order a six minute egg, check my watch, go get other stuff from ttthe buffet, take it back to our table, sit down and eat a while, and afer 5 minutes and little more passed, return to the egg station just as the chef was dishing up my eggs– right on schedule. Just to be sure the soft boiled egg survived the trip across the dining room to our table, the chef put cover, something like a tea cozy– over it to keep it warm (see photo).

Although everything on the buffet was first rate, the star of the show were the mango smoothies which disappeared from the serving table almost as fast as the staff brought them out.

The Ritz-Carlton is located about two-thirds the way up the hill rising from the Bosporus to Taksim Square. The east end of Taksim Parki is two blocks uphill, and there are a lot of restaurants in the streets on the other side of Taksim Parki. Walking downhill and turning left at the bottom took us to the tram line that connects most of Istanbul’s major sights. Dolombache Palace is two blocks the other direction.

Quote: We began our first dinner in Istanbul with mezes, the famous assorted Turkish appetizers. We shared artichoke stuffed with green peas, half a green bell pepper stuffed with meatball, and green beans (cold) with a vinaigrette dressing.
For the main course, she had a plate with three chicken kabobs, nicely seasoned flavorful pieces of chicken skewered with red and green bell peppers and all perfectly cooked– the chicken was not dried out. He chicken came with excellent mashed potatoes. I had the plate of assorted meatballs– three types of meatballs-- with grilled peta bread and tomato and yogurt sauce for dipping. All was excellent. There was a $2 charge for a liter of bottled water.
Beer and wine were avilible, but the Muslim religious fanatics who run Turkey’s government set out to discourage drinking alcohol by raising taxes into the stratosphere. They succeeded. We passed on the wine list where the cheapest bottle was $26, price gouging by government I’ve only seen equaled by Utah’s religious Mormon fanatics who share a hatred of alcohol with Osama bin Laden and other Muslin fanatics.
Let’s compare Turkey’s prices to the rest of Europe. In Paris two years ago, we paid $8-16 for a full liter of vin d’table at various restaurants. In Budapest we drank beer– a half liter bottle for $3 in a restaurant, less than a dollar a bottle in the neighborhood quick market. A couple years ago on a river cruise in Germany, we bought some bottles of decent wine on shore for $3-6 a bottle. The way I look at it is this: if the idiots running Turkey’s government want to act like that, I’ll spend my money in some other country.
The maitre’d/manager of the restaurant was very helpful. He explained everything on the menu, which was in English, to us, and made some suggestions which a brief look at the menu turned out to the most expensive items. We passed on his suggestions and were very pleased with our choices. He also suggested we start with mezes which were not on the menu. We took him up on that. Shortly, the waiter brought a large try with 6-7 assorted mezes on it. We picked three. While they were most enjoyable, we oped out of mezes at dinner for the next two nights because three mezes and two main courses for two people was too much food.
If you want to try mezes, and you should, find a Restaurant with a large selection and make your whole meal of mezes.

This rather large meal cost 55 Turkish Lyra, about $40 with tip for two.

The menu offered a good selection of Turkish dishes.

Service was attentive and excellent.

The decor of the restaurant can be described with words like, plain, basic, unpretentious, except for where we sat, which was on an L-shaped couch with soft seats, like sinking down into a bean bag chair. The couch had a lot of big pillows on it, and once we figured out how to place the pillows, we could reach the table comfortably. Kinda fun as restaurants seats go. Although basic in appearance the place was bright and very neat and clean.

We found the restaurant by following our preferred way to find a place to eat in Europe– ignore guide book and internet recommendations and strike out on our own to find a place to eat that’s near our hotel because after a day of sightseeing, we don’t’ want to put too much energy, which we don’t have, into finding a restaurant. So we headed out form our hotel to what we hoped would be the nearest restaurant. There is cluster of upper end hotels– Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, Hilton, Intercontinental just downhill from Taksim Parki, a park at the east end of Taksim (pronounced tack-seem) Square, a giant bus station that is the center of modern Istanbul. Taksim is on the hill across the Golden Horn from old Istanbul, and was settled by foreigners from other European nations in the 19th Century.
With a little exploration over our three nights in Istanbul, we found there was a concentration of restaurants, mostly Turkish, north of the end of Taksim Parki farthest away from Taksim Square. Look for Lamartin Caderi street on your map, which is in the center of this restaurant area. This area is reasonably convenient to most of the hotels in the Taksim area, and easy to get to if you are staying in any of the many hotels in Bayoglu (Taksim area).
If you are staying in the old city (Sultanhamet) on the other side of the Golden Horn, public transportation by the modern tram is an easy way to get to Taksim Square and the restaurant area. Take the tram to the end of the line a couple blocks short of Dolmabahce Palace and transfer to the Taksim funicular. AT the end of the line, cross Taksim Square and head to your right, toward the north side of Taksim Parki. The restaurant area covers several streets north of Taksim Parki.
This trip required two tram tickets, a total of about $1.40 in April, 2010.
Although we never did it, there is an alternative, route that goes by different scenery. Leave the tram a the first stop after crossing the Golden horn and transfer to the Tunel funicular. At the end of the line, the first stop, transfer to the historic trolley running down the center of the pedestrian street, Istiklal Caddesti to the end of the line, Taksim Square. This requires at least two metro tickets, maybe three, but the historic tram might be no charge. 

Quote: Although it has an impressive setting spreading across several hills on two continents straddling the Bosporus between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara (technically, Istanbul is not on the Mediterranean Sea but on the Sea of Marmara), I didn’t find old Istanbul to be an attractive city. However, it’s monumental sights– the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, the Harem in Topkapi Palace, and the mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent which dominates the skyline of the old city– should be on everyone’s do not miss list.

Western history is dominated by the great Empires of the Western World. The Egyptian Empire lasted 4,000 years. Rome lasted 1,600 years. Austria and the Ottoman Empires lasted 800 years. The British Empire, a mere 200 years, and the American Empire, about 100 so far. The dominant role these empires played throughout history makes their capital cites– Thebes (Luxor), Rome, Istanbul, Vienna, London, and Washington, DC-- the most important cites in history. Istanbul is doubly important, being the capitol of modern Turkey, the Ottoman Empire, and of the Roman Empire for a longer time than was Rome. Along with their historical, military, and political importance, the flow of wealth from the hinterland to these capitols made each of these cities the cultural wonders of their time.
Of these great capitals, London, Washington, DC, and Vienna retain the appearance of their heyday. So does what’s left of Thebes, but 6,000 years takes a toll. Rome and Istanbul suffer from the ravages of the more recent past– the destruction and rebuilding of the cites since their greatest days. All in all, Rome has fared better than Istanbul.

The capital of the Roman Empire for 1,000 years, Roman artifacts in modern Istanbul are limited– a section of aqueduct, the cisterns– underground water storage for the Roman city– parts of the city wall, a couple monuments in the Hippodrome, and the most impressive, the Hagia Sofia.
Visitors today are rightly impressed by the vast Topkapi Palace, but the palace of the Roman Emperor Constantine was vast compared to the Topkapi Palace.

Our cruise on the lower Danube included three nights in Istanbul and two half day tours of the city. The highlight of the first tour was the visit to the Blue Mosque. The second tour went to Topkapi Palace. These were both morning trips. Optional afternoon tours were offered at additional expense. Think seriously about buying optional tours, for you can almost always do it yourself for much less. For example, one afternoon tour went the Hagia Sofia and the Spice Bazar. It cost $39, a low price compared to most optional tours. I did the same trip for $2.10 tram fare and the $14 admission charge to Hagia Sofia, less than half the cost of the optional tour.

Istanbul’s great sights:

1] Hagia Sofia is improperly translated as St. Sofia Church. "Hagia Sofia" means ‘Divine Wisdom.’ It is truly, as the Eyewitness Guide puts it, "one of the world’s great feats of architecture." Built in 537 AD, Hagia Sofia is still with us in more or less its original state. Hagia Sofia impresses the visitor with its age, its size, and art.
The dome rises 184 ft. above the floor. To call Hagia Sofia vast is an understatement. Hagia Sofia was the world’s largest building from the year 537 until St Peter’s Cathedral in Rome was completed, some 1,000 years later. The thing is so big that the Sultan Mahmut I built his private library inside Hagia Sofia and it is barely noticeable.
Do not miss exploring the galleries which run around three sides of Hagia Sofia about 1/3 the way up to the ceiling. The galleries go around three sides of the church. The center of the rear gallery is where the Empress of Rome sat for services. Note that as early as the 6th Century AD, the Christian Church had relegated women to an inferior status– the Emperor sat on the main floor– and that discrimination carries over into modern Islam, as you can see in the Mosques of Istanbul where there is a section in the rear of the mosque blocked off by a balustrade which is where the women must pray while the men get to go out on the main floor of the mosque. Such was the power of Rome.

2] Topkapi Palace is a huge thing, surrounding four courtyards. The guide books correctly say it takes at least a full day to see all there is to see in Topkapi. We had three hours, which was enough to see the highlights. Hands down, the star of the show, if not the star of Istanbul, is the Harem (pronounced hah-reem), which, our guide said, translates best as ‘home’. The harem was where the Sultan, his mother, and his wives and children lived.
The Treasury Museum, which contains the famous jewel encrusted dagger that was the target of the thieves in the Movie "Topkapi" is on display here. I found the costume museum to be of only moderate interest. There were several other museums we did not have time to visit.
Upon entering the Second (of four) Courtyard, take the path branching off at about 11:00 o’clock. The building with two doorways on the left is the Divan, the chambers where the Sultan’s advisors met. The Divan is grandly decorated. Note the gold screen in the upper part of the rear wall of the room closest to the entrance to the Second Courtyard. Behind this screen is where the Sultan could listen in on the discussion of the advisors, which he did not attend. After the advisors reached a decision, the Grand Vizier would meet with the Sultan in the Throne Room, directly opposite the gateway inside the Third Courtyard, to inform the Sultan of the advice of his counselors. Compared to the Divan, the Throne Room is rather modest.

3] The Blue Mosque, built in 1609, stands directly across a small park from Hagia Sofia (Topkapi Palace is behind Hagia Sofia). The exterior of the Blue Mosque is impressive. The interior, covered almost wall to wall and floor to ceiling with ceramic tiles is spectacular. The electric lights hanging from the dome spoil the scene.
An interesting contrast to the splendid Islamic facilities in Istanbul is the sorry state of the small brick compound that is the Vatican equivalent of the Orthodox Church, the home of the Orthodox Patriarch.

4] The city walls. The Roman builders of Byzantium Constantinople ringed the city with walls. The land wall, about four miles long is in impressive condition, including one intact city gate from the Roman era. The Sea Wall is only found in spotty remains, but a trip around the Roman periphery of the City is most impressive.

5] There is a spectacular view of one of the Roman aqueducts that brought water to the city where it crosses the highway to the airport. For the dry season, water brought in by the aqueducts during the rainy season was stored in underground cisterns, several of which can be visited today.

6] The Cisterns. The Basilica Cistern is the largest of the three Roman underground water storage facilities open to visitors. The roof of this man made underground lake is supported by 336 columns. The most impressive cistern is the Cistern of 1001 Columns (in fact, there are 264 columns, but their colorful marble columns make them the winner.) A famous scene in a James Bond movie took place in the Cistern of 1001 Columns.
The first two cisterns have a fee. The much smaller third cistern, located in the basement of rug store, is free to visit.

7] The Other Palaces. The Sultans built a number of palaces in Istanbul which we did not have time to visit. Of these, Dolmabahce Palace is by all accounts the winner. The Dolmabahce Palace has spectacular facade on the Bosporus which can only be seen from the water.

8] The other Mosques. I visited a couple other mosques, but, the Blue Mosque is such a triumph that the others are but pale imitations. If you want to be impressed by a bunch of mosques, save the Blue Mosque for last. If time is short, see the Blue Mosque and forget the rest.

9] The Grand Bazar and the Spice Bazar. We didn’t have time for the Grand Bazar, but I did pay a brief visit to the 17tth Century Spice Bazar. It is old and it is packed with people, beyond crowded. I don’t like crowds (except in Prague where I don’t mind them), so my visit lasted about three minutes. I was not impressed.

10] The view of the Istanbul skyline from the Galata Bridge is one of the world’s greatest cityscapes. Because of the angle of the sun, it is a must see in the morning, never in the late afternoon.

Except for the city wall and the Roman aqueduct, all these sights are easily accessible from Istanbul’s very modern tram line.