Istanbul
Jump on a tram and trundle through 2,000 years in just 48 hours
ISTANBUL is a glory of world travel. This splendid collision of civilisations swells up on seven hills bridging two continents, and mingles the mystique, power and glitter of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires.
DAY ONE MORNING
Start with a ferry trip across the Bosporus from Eminonu Pier and look back to a sublime vista of the Old City (Sultanahmet), dominated by the Topkapi Palace, the vast dome of Aya Sofya, once the greatest cathedral in Christendom, and the 17th Century Blue Mosque.
It’s 20 minutes over the water, with the occasional stop to let a towering freighter roll down from Russia to the Mediterranean. Take a break in one of the many pier-side cafes on the Asian shore in Harem, then head back to Eminonu for the remarkable T1 tram, the tourist’s reliable thread through history.
The reloadable Istanbulkart (Istanbul Card) can be used on all public transport, including ferries. You can buy the cards at airports, stations and news-stands. And more than one person can use the same card – just pass it across the barrier to others in your group.
Take the T1 up the hill to a string of stops, each a short stroll to yet another wonder. Alight at Sultanahmet for the phenomenal Aya Sofya. Built in 537, this was the greatest cathedral in Christendom for 900 years. After the Turks took over in 1453, it was a mosque for 500 years, becoming a museum in 1935. Once inside, find a quiet vantage point to marvel at the columns and massive Byzantine mosaics.
It’s a ten-minute walk from the Beyazit tram to the monumental
Suleymaniye Mosque. There are countless busy, welcoming open-air restaurants directly west of the
AFTERNOON
Ride the T1 to Aksaray for the
Valens Aqueduct, the city’s most striking (if restored) Roman relic. Next head for the subterranean
Basilica Cistern, a refreshing diversion on a hot day. Then take the T1 tram back over the Galata Bridge, its parapets a perpetual smudge of fishermen. It spans the Golden Horn, the inlet from the Bosporus into old Istanbul. Alight at Kabatas for the funicular (F1) to Taksim Square. Then saunter back down
Istiklal Caddesi. They’ve just finished renovation work on the pedestrianised mile-and-a-half long avenue, lined with high-end shops and mansions. Mado is a tempting stop for afternoon tea thanks to its prodigious cake selection.
The perfect last call on a summer afternoon is Seraglio Point (Gulhane on the T1), to relax in the tea garden under the Topkapi Palace. For dinner, head to the restaurants in Kumkapi, below the old city.
DAY TWO MORNING
Time it right at sunrise and you step off the T1 at the Grand Bazaar (Beyazıt stop) to a tremendous quadraphonic sound effect, as four muezzin compete to call to prayer from four separate surrounding mosques. Then plunge into one of the world’s biggest and oldest covered markets, brimming with infinite choice in 3,000 shops over 60 aisles.
There’s an amazing choice of small, family-run restaurants and cafes. For lunch based on the many Turkish mezzes, try one of the busy places around the Spice Bazaar, next to the New Mosque. Alternatively, grab a fish sandwich at a stall just before the Galata Bridge.
AFTERNOON
For a break from Istanbul’s flat-out commotion, the car-free Princes’
Islands are 55 minutes away by fast ferry from Besiktas. Back in the city, stroll the steep streets of Beyoglu (Sishane station), where independent shops and cafes hold out defiantly, to the Museum Of Innocence on Cukurcuma Caddesi. It was created by Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk as a companion piece to his novel of the same name. Make time for a drink in the bar of the Pera Palace Hotel.
A photograph of novelist Agatha Christie hangs in this sumptuous haven where she stayed in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Little has changed since she finished Murder On The Orient Express in Room 411 of the hotel (the Tokatlian in the book), built to serve passengers of the famous train.