Istanbul Holiday Guide

Istanbul - Constantinople - Byzantium. City on the Bosphorus, between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, City on two continents. Officially 9 million, unofficially 14 million inhabitants. Boundary between Asia and Europe, between Orient and Occident. Mosques and bazaars, western lifestyle and Anatolian tradition. The reason for our 4-day stay in [...]

 
Ankara may have replaced Istanbul as the capital of Turkey , but the old imperial capital will never be replaced in the affections of the populace. A pride in the city plays a part in the consciousness of locals of every age ,race and creed. Its feeling summed up best by novelist Yasar Kemal , [...]

Arriving in Istanbul can come as a shock. You may still be in Europe - with tree-lined boulevards and chic cafe bars in many areas - but step away from the main drag and most likely you will find you have entered a completely ailen environment. Traders with handcarts , hamals (stevedores) carrying burdens of [...]