Istanbul

od They Named It Twicethe Roman engineers who built it. Istanbul has the
(Whoa! ‘So good they named it twice?’occasional earthquake. When the last severe one hit in
Isn’t that New York?’)1999 quite a few modern buildings fell down. Aya Sofia
Sure — but it’s Istanbul too. A short— along with everything else more than a
history lesson:thousand years old — didn’t budge an
When you arrive in the heart of old Istanbul (the areainch.
that the locals call ‘Sultanahmet’) you’llOne of the best things to do in Istanbul is simply walk
notice that it’s on a peninsula — the seaaround and soak up the atmosphere. A stroll around
surrounds it on three sides. A millennium-and-a-half ago,the old city at dusk is very pleasant. If you stand on
another guy noticed this: the Roman emperorone of the northern sections of the old sea walls you
Constantine the Great. As well as being the emperorcan look out over the Golden Horn. This natural inlet
who made Christianity the official religion of the Empire,has served as Constantinople/Istanbul’s harbour
he also moved the capital. He built a new city on thefor fifteen hundred years. At sunset you can see how
shores of the Bosphoros strait, the stretch of waterit gets its name: yellowy orange light streams from the
that links the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Hesetting sun and turns the water a rich golden hue.
chose the peninsula as the city’s site because itWhen you’ve done that, take in some of the
was easy to defend. Then he named the new townother famous sights, like the Blue Mosque. Although
after himself. That’s the kind of thing you get toTurkey is a secular state, most Turkish nationals are
do if you’re emperor.still Muslim. You shouldn’t worry too much about
Anyhow, a couple of hundred years after Constantinethe threat of terrorism in Istanbul. There have been
the Roman Empire fell apart. It’s eastern halfone or two incidents, mainly directed at foreign
soldiered on, with Constantinople at its heart, forembassies, but in general Istanbul is safe. If you take
another thousand years until it was conquered in 1453the usual precautions you would in any big city you
by the Turks. It’s been a Turkish city ever since.should have few problems.
They called it Istanbul.Shopping is fun in Istanbul. The most famous retail area
(Actually, it has three names — you’llis the Grand Bazaar. Catch the tram from
often hear the old city referred to as Byzantium, andSultanahmet to get to this atmospheric covered
its historic empire as the Byzantine Empire. Formarket, and be prepared for a real taste of the orient!
simplicity’s sake let’s stick to IstanbulYou can buy all kinds of traditional Turkish goods here
— that’s what the modern inhabitants callfrom ‘magic’ carpets to oil lamps and all kinds
it.)of herbs, spices, teas and coffees. It’s also a
All these empires passing through really left their markgreat place to pick up antiques — but be sure to
on Istanbul. Today it’s a rich, fun place tocheck out any relevant laws before taking them out of
explore. The city limits now expand far beyond thethe country.
original peninsula. But all the really good stuff lies withinThe Bazaar just smells exotic. It can get a little
the old city walls.crowded, however. Be like the locals in this situation:
Check out, for example, Aya Sofia. This huge domedstay polite, smile, and keep hold of your wallet —
church was originally built in the 500s AD. When thethere are as many pickpockets around now as there
Muslim Turks arrived they turned it into a mosque.were in the days of the Sultans!
These days it’s a museum, and well worthAnother pleasant area for shopping is the Divan Yolu,
looking around. If it’s hot outside — andbetween the Bazaar and Sultanahmet. There are
Istanbul knows how to do hot, believe you meplenty of upmarket boutiques and small shops
— then its cool interior can make for a welcome— and lots of designer goods on sale at prices
break. Stand underneath the huge dome and marvel atcheaper than you’d find back home.