Make the most of 48 exotic hours by the Bosphorus
Few cities seduce and overwhelm in equal measure quite like Istanbul. This is the only place where you can sip tea in Europe while gazing at Asia, and Byzantine mosaics sit next to Ottoman domes. Ferry-hopping across the Bosphorus and to the Asian and European sides of the city is part of the fun. With 16 million residents, it’s not a city you can conquer in two days – don’t even try. What you can do is dip in for a heady taste: a palace or two, a market stall perfumed with saffron and soap, a meander through lanes where antique kilims spill on to the street, and meals that linger long after your flight home.
Friday 1pm: Arrive at the Aliée After checking into this chic hideaway on Golden Horn harbour, with its lofty rooms, terrace and glorious pool overlooking the estuary, take a cruise up the Bosphorus and watch Yali mansions, Ottoman palaces and minarets flick past.
3.30pm: Enjoy the Egyptian Bazaar and lunch After sampling the spices at the bazaar in Eminönü, a waterfront section of the historic centre, head up to the first floor for lunch at the turquoise-tiled Pandeli (established in 1901), a culinary institution that was once a favourite of Atatürk.
6pm: Ride the Tünel funicular The world’s second-oldest underground railway runs up to Beyoğlu, the city’s cultural heart. Climb the Galata Tower (built in 1348) for the views, then walk along İstiklal Caddesi, past its arcades and alleys, and pause for a famously frothy Turkish coffee at the tiny but much loved Mandabatmaz – the word means ‘even a buffalo wouldn’t sink’, a clever image of just how thick this coffee is.
8pm: Dine at Yeni Lokanta Star chef Civan Er reimagines Turkish cooking with local ingredients at this relaxed Beyoğlu stalwart. Head off to Nardis Jazz Club afterwards, right under Galata Tower, and let the saxophone carry you into the early hours.
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Saturday 9am: Go to Topkapı Palace Museum The former residence of the Ottoman Sultans, this vast museum includes its famous Harem of tiled courtyards, secret passages, and courtyard gardens looking over the Bosphorus. A bright place to linger before descending into the shadowy Basilica Cistern, a sixth-century underground forest of marble columns and Medusa heads.
12.30pm: Enjoy dazzling mosaics Walk to nearby basilica Hagia Sophia, a former cathedral converted into a mosque in 1453 whose grand dome appears to float on light. Don’t miss the Byzantine mosaics in the upstairs gallery.
1.30pm: Lunch and shop You’ll find locals and tourists alike rammed into Sultanahmet Köftecisi restaurant in Sutanahmet Square. Favourites include grilled meatballs with piyaz (white bean salad) and ayran (a salty yoghurt drink). Afterwards, lose yourself in the Grand Bazaar, a warren of more than 4,000 shops.
7pm: Cross continents by ferry Take the ferry from European Eminonu to Kadıköy, a lively Asian area full of boutiques. Enjoy dinner at Çiya Sofrası where chef Musa Dağdeviren revives old Anatolian recipes.
Sunday 9am: Breakfast like a local Order menemen (eggs with peppers and tomatoes) at the cosy Kahve6 café in Cihangir, a vibrant Beyoğlu neighbourhood, before browsing in Çukurcuma antique district, also home to Orhan Pamuk’s Museum of Innocence.
1pm: A last stroll through Galataport Cruise ships dock beside cafés and shops at Istanbul’s new promenade. Sip one last coffee as ferries criss-cross the Bosphorus.
Photograph by Alamy
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