Two continents, three empires and one great waterway
Istanbul was the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires for more than fifteen centuries, and the old city of Sultanahmet shows it: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace sit within a short walk of one another. Cross the Galata Bridge to Karaköy and Beyoğlu for cafés and İstiklal Avenue, or take a public ferry up the Bosphorus past waterfront mansions. Eat balık ekmek by the water, lose an afternoon in the Grand Bazaar, and finish with a hammam.