5 THINGS TO DO IN ISTANBUL
Straddling Europe and Asia, the city formerly known as Constantinople is one of the most alluring places on Earth. Paul Ash suggests some highlights
SAIL ACROSS THE BOSPHORUS
Everyone should take a boat across the sliver of ocean that draws a line between east and west. Not only will it help give you an unbeatable view of this sprawling metropolis and its towering minarets, but the thrill of crossing from Europe to Asia — and back — is the kind of spark that makes you want to keep travelling. If you want to live like a local, take the cheap ferry into the Marmara Sea, pictured, and go exploring on the island of Buyukada, which offers a glimpse of another, older Turkey.
EAT SOME STREET FOOD
If you need only one reason to go to Turkey, it’s the street food. A short list of unmissable dishes are simit, the sesame seed bagel; gözleme ,a flat-bread filled with cheese and vegetables and cooked on a griddle; roasted chestnuts bought from a street vendor; and manti, dough filled with mince, onion and spices. One of the finest things I have ever eaten on my travels, however, is misir, a corn on the cob, right, grilled on a brazier and dipped in salt.
VISIT THE HAGIA SOPHIA
Yes, the crowds can be immense, but for good reason: this Byzantine monument is easily the most beautiful sight in a city full of breathtaking landmarks. First a Greek Orthodox church — and the site of much slaughter when the Ottomans captured Constantinople in 1453 — it was the city’s main mosque until 1931 when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey’s first president, had it turned into a museum. With its marble floors, frescoes, mosaics and lofty dome, it is one of the world’s architectural gems.
SIT BY THE BOSPHORUS AND WATCH THE FISHERMEN
After an intense bout of bargaining in the Grand Bazaar — a worthy attraction in its own right — some peace and quiet is in order. I found mine on the edge of the Bosphorus, watching the fishermen casting into the blue as ships plodded up to the Black Sea, as both have done for centuries. Handy tip: If you’re a bleeding heart animal-liberal like me, buy a tin of tuna and open it on the rocks. The cats — of whom there are many hanging about for fishing scraps — will love you very much. ● L S.
Ash was a guest of Turkish Airlines