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Best of Istanbul
Blue
Mosque
The Blue Mosque was the famous Ottoman architect Sinan's answer to Aya Sofya, named for
the luminous blue tiles of its interior.
Kariye
Camii
The most evocative of the city's Byzantine treasures are the superb fourteenth-century
mosaics and frescoes of the Kariye Camii, formerly the church of St Saviour, which was
built in the twelfth century.
Hotel
Antique
Hotel Antique is a central, comfortable hotel with a roof terrace in a quiet
neighbourhood, with excellent service for its inexpensive rates.
Aya
Sofya
Now a mosque, the unmissable sixth-century Byzantine church of Aya Sofya was, for nearly a
thousand years, the largest enclosed space in the world.
Cati
Dine out at the Cati restaurant, haunt of Istanbul's intelligentsia, where you can
eat superbly, listen to jazz and look out over the city lights.
Topkapi
Palace
Yet another top sight in the city is the Ottoman Topkapi Palace - don't skimp on a guided
tour of the 400-room Harem, all Iznik tiles and marble fountains.
Covered
Bazaar
Wander through the frenetic Covered Bazaar, which shelters over 4000 shops - including
plenty of splendid carpet shops.
Suleymaniye
Mosque Complex
Sinan's masterpiece is the harmonious and imposing Suleymaniye mosque complex, where the
architect is buried in a magnificent turban-crowned tomb. |
