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16-night Cruise & Rail: Venice, Istanbul & The Balkans

Price: Please call for rates - # of Days: 16 days

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21-Nights A Northern Odyssey: Around the World by Private Jet - Private Jet

Price: $99,995 - # of Days: 21 days
Circle the Northern Hemisphere by private jet, exploring rich cultures from Kyoto to Kraków and frontier communities from Mongolia to the Faroe Islands. Experience the desert landscapes of the Gobi and watch for whales among the ice floes of Svalbard. Discover the mosaic-covered mosques of Sa...

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3-Nights Hagia Sofia Mansions Istanbul, Curio Collection by Hilton

Price: $278 - # of Days: 3 days
Perfectly located in the heart of Istanbul between Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sofia Mansions Istanbul, Curio Collection by Hilton is a breathtaking urban retreat. It is a collection of 17 individual mansions. Hagia Sofia Mansions features opulent rooms and suites with Turkish baths. ...

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3-Nights Grand Hyatt Istanbul

Price: $215 - # of Days: 3 days
Journey to a destination where the traditional dimensions of East and West blend seamlessly at the Grand Hyatt Istanbul hotel. Close to Taksim Square, Istiklal street, the entertainment district and various shopping malls, the Grand Hyatt Istanbul truly reflects the spirit and culture of this vibran...

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10-night Best Of Greece & Turkey Cruise

Price: $1,174 - # of Days: 10 days

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11-night Best Of Greece & Turkey Cruise

Price: $1,362 - # of Days: 11 days

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11-night Greece, Turkey & Italy Cruise

Price: $2,443 - # of Days: 11 days

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Overview

Introduction

For the better part of two millennia, Istanbul, Turkey, has been one of the greatest cities in the world, and it remains one of the most vibrant and magical places in Europe and the Middle East. It is not the capital of Turkey—that honor was bestowed on Ankara in the 1920s—but Istanbul is the country's largest city, its main commercial, historical and cultural center and the heart of its tourism industry.

Istanbul's centuries of empire have left an extraordinary collection of palaces, churches, mosques, architectural styles and markets from every period of history. Its unique position as a city that straddles two continents, Europe and Asia, has given Istanbul an unmistakably cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Alongside all the life and color of the Middle East, Istanbul has a high standard of living with many of the accoutrements of a European capital, such as luxurious shopping malls and upscale international restaurants.

But Istanbul's charm is that despite its great history, it has not become a static museum-city like its historic rival, Venice. Istanbul is very much a living city, and although its traffic jams, air pollution and high-rise buildings lack the grace of its venerable landmarks, they're proof that Istanbul remains the hub of Turkey, a vital metropolis that's made up of more than ancient palaces and smoky bazaars.

Must See or Do

Sights—The ancient grandeur of Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia); the Ottoman architectural masterpiece Sultan Ahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque); the lavish home of the sultans, Topkapi Palace; the newer but no less lavish Dolmabahce Sarayi (Dolmabahce Palace); the color and bustle of Kapali Carsi (Grand Bazaar); the Byzantine mosaics of Kariye Camii (the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora).

Museums—The tiles and artifacts of the Arkeoloji Muzesi (the Archaeological Museum); contemporary Turkish art and traveling exhibitions at the Istanbul Modern; Orientalist paintings of Istanbul and top-notch international artists at the Pera Museum; Ottoman paintings, calligraphy and decorative arts in a waterfront mansion at the Sakip Sabanci Muzesi; stunning Ottoman caiques and other maritime artifacts at the Deniz Muzesi (Naval Museum); a Nobel Prize-winner's eclectic and poignant passion project at the Masumiyet Muzesi (Museum of Innocence).

Memorable Meals—Delicious food and an amazing view at Mikla, on the top floor of the Marmara Pera Hotel; innovative young chefs putting a fresh twist on Turkish food at Lokanta Maya or Yeni Lokanta; the timeless tradition of Turkish coffee and dessert at Divan; authentic regional Anatolian flavors at Ciya; mezes and raki along lively Nevizade Sokak.

Late Night—Live music at Peyote; hobnobbing with the beautiful people at the chic nightclubs in Taksim or Zorlu Center; bar-hopping on Kadikoy's casually hip Kadife Sokak, better known as Barlar Sokak (Bar Street).

Walks—A weekend stroll through Ortakoy and its waterside cafes; a walk along the Bosporus from trendy Bebek to the huge Ottoman castle at Rumeli Hisari and on to sky-high Fatih Sultan Mehmet suspension bridge; an escape to nature at the Princes' Islands; a loop walk along the Golden Horn and across two bridges; a turn along Divan Yolu, from the Grand Bazaar to Sultanahmet Square; an evening walk along jam-packed, energetic Istiklal Caddesi.

Especially for Kids—Bird's-eye views of the city's major monuments in miniature at Miniaturk; a cruise or ferry ride along the Bosporus Strait; vintage planes, trains and automobiles on the Golden Horn at the Rahmi M. Koc Muzesi; seeing beautiful old toys in the Istanbul Oyuncak Muzesi (Istanbul Toy Museum); exploring the underwater world at the Istanbul Akvaryum.

Geography

The Bosporus Strait divides the city into two sections, one in Europe and one in Asia. The European side of Istanbul is divided again by the Golden Horn, a 4-mi/7-km horn-shaped inlet pointing northwest from the Bosporus Strait that is spanned by four bridges, including one metro bridge and one with tram and pedestrian access.

On the southwestern side of the Golden Horn is the Old City, which in ancient times constituted the entirety of Byzantium. It is there that most of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman monuments are found. The Old City has several districts. Sultanahmet lies on the eastern edge, along the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara, and is the site of many of Istanbul's most famous attractions. Beyazit is to the west (inland) from Sultanahmet, and Sirkeci/Eminonu is to the north, along the waters of the Golden Horn.

Just across the Golden Horn on the northeastern side is Karakoy in Beyoglu, which includes the old European quarter of Galata, and commercial districts that once were enclaves for Greeks, Genoese, Armenians and Jews. At the northern end of Beyoglu is Taksim, where many of Istanbul's largest hotels and convention centers are located. Beyond Taksim are the tony shopping streets of Nisantasi and Tesvikiye. Running along the north coastline of the Bosporus are a string of Imperial palaces, such as the Dolmabahce and Beylerbeyi (on the Asian side), and waterside suburbs including Ortakoy, Arnavutkoy and Bebek.

Across the Bosporus Strait, the Asian side of the city is just as crowded, but not with so many tourists and has a more relaxed atmosphere. Kadikoy and Uskudar are the most touristed parts of Asian Istanbul; Kadikoy is young, trendy and good for shopping, whereas Uskudar is a conservative suburb full of Ottoman mosques. Bagdat Caddesi, the Madison Avenue of the Asian side of Istanbul, is a popular hangout for Turks, with wide sidewalks that are lined with upscale shopping, coffee shops and restaurants.

History

The city's roots can be traced to the mid-seventh century BC when, according to legend, a Greek explorer named Byzas was told by the Oracle at Delphi to sail up the Bosporus and found a city. The city-state of Byzantium was the result, and throughout the next 1,000 years, it became an important center of trade and commerce. In the early fourth century, Emperor Constantine made it the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, renaming it Constantinople. Like Rome, the new capital was built on seven hills, but unlike Rome, Constantinople was protected by water on two sides, making it easier to defend.

As the Western Roman Empire fell to successive waves of barbarian invasions in the fifth and sixth centuries, the eastern half, known as the Byzantine Empire, remained to become Rome's successor. For the next 1,000 years, the empire's fortunes waxed and waned. In 1453, the city finally fell to the Ottoman Turks, led by Mehmet II ("the Conqueror"), after a hard-fought siege. Mehmet renamed the city Istanbul and began at once to rebuild and repopulate it. Greeks, Armenians and Spanish Jews were encouraged to immigrate there. Successive sultans used wealth gained in further conquests to fund the construction of impressive palaces, mosques and bazaars.

As the Ottoman Empire grew to include all of the Middle East, North Africa and much of the Balkans, Istanbul became a melting pot of nationalities. Yet, in the 17th century, what was once among the most powerful and cosmopolitan cities on Earth began a slow decline. By the 1800s, Istanbul had lost most of its former glory. A nationalist movement began gaining steam in the late 19th century, culminating in the overthrow of the sultan in 1922 and the establishment of the Turkish Republic.

After the War of Independence, the nationalist leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk created a new capital in Ankara, a small provincial town in central Anatolia. Istanbul remained the nation's cultural and commercial center, however. Ataturk's ambitious modernization plans began a large-scale transformation of Turkish life, and the city embarked on its sometimes bumpy ride toward industrialization and secularization. In 1980, the Turkish government fell to the third of a series of military coups, but power was ceded to an elected democracy a few years later.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in power for 11 years as prime minister before being elected president in 2014, was the first leader in more than a decade to govern without coalition parties; he initially moved quickly to promote Turkey's application to join the European Union, but progress in these talks has reached a near-stalemate because of the ongoing conflict over Cyprus, concern about the pace of Turkey's reforms and opposition within some EU countries.

Domestic politics, terrorist bombings and violence in Istanbul, and ongoing regional strife dominated Turkey's agenda for a few years at that time, culminating in an attempted coup in 2015 because of internal government division, leaving relations with Europe on the backburner.

After the unsuccessful coup attempt which left President Erdogan still in power, Turkey's political and economic situation stabilized and the violence ceased in 2016. Since then the country has remained stable. International attempts in 2016 to find a joint solution to the refugee crisis sparked by the Syrian war and other regional conflicts re-opened the door to a potential acceleration of Turkey's EU accession talks.

Visitors to Turkey are unlikely to notice any of these political and social issues. Violence in Istanbul is a thing of the past, security and police forces are present in major tourist areas, and major luxury hotels have security screening of all arrivals upon entry. The city is safe and Turkish people are helpful and welcoming.

Potpourri

The Emperor Napoleon is supposed to have said: "If the world was a single country, Istanbul would be its capital."

Istanbul's stray dogs have been a fixture of the city since ancient times. The Byzantine author Procopius describes them in his scandal-mongering Anecdotae, or Secret History, a scurrilous account of the reign of Emperor Justinian and his wife, Theodora.

The number of street cats greatly outnumbers the canines, and Istanbul's residents take extraordinary care of them. The city's sidewalks, porches and parks are dotted with water, food and milk dishes and a vast array of cat houses, most of them filled with blankets, towels or other soft materials. There are even four-story cat apartment buildings in some parks.

The Basilica Cistern, near Aya Sofya, is one of 17 major cisterns that dot the Old City. Istanbul's cisterns were once fed by a complex of aqueducts more than 37 mi/60 km long. Some of the best-preserved aqueducts stand on the edge of the Belgrade Forest near Kemerburgaz.

It's not just Venice that has a Biennale—Istanbul has one, too. It takes place every two years and brings together the best of modern art from all over the world, strikingly displayed in a variety of buildings, from old tobacco and customs warehouses to crumbling hamams and long-shuttered schoolhouses. The Istanbul arts community comes alive with parties and sponsored events to celebrate the Biennale.

Although the Turks conquered the city in 1453, Istanbul remained a mostly Christian city until well into the 1920s, when many Armenians and Greeks were forced to leave. Most of the remaining Greeks left in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, although today a few are returning.

Because of rural migration, Istanbul's population has grown dramatically, from 800,000 in the early 1950s to an estimated 14 million in the metropolitan area today.

See emeralds the size of a child's fist in the display areas of the Topkapi Palace. They were once personal belongings of the sultans. Even if emeralds aren't your preferred gem, their beauty—and size—will capture the imagination.

Location

Most cruise ships dock at Karakoy, in the heart of the city close to Eminonu, near the Spice Bazaar and the Galata Bridge, which marks the entry to the Golden Horn. The passenger terminal there is short on amenities, containing only a sleepy tourist office, but customs and immigration formalities work efficiently enough, and there are bright yellow taxis available right outside.

The neighboring area has undergone a striking transformation, however. Where once there were only a few restaurants and eateries close by (including the famous sweet-shop Karakoy Gulluoglu and nearby Namli Gurme, a gourmet deli known for its Turkish breakfasts), the backstreets just a stone's throw away are now one of the city's hippest destinations, packed with young Istanbulites eating, drinking and gallery hopping.

With its view across the Golden Horn to the palaces and mosques of Sultanahmet, the Karakoy dock is also a short walk to the Karakoy tram stop, which provides efficient transportation to the Old City and parts farther afield, to the Tunel funicular up to lively Istiklal Caddesi and to the Galata Bridge, which leads to the bustling Eminonu district.

Shore Excursions