The Turkish capital is where East meets West and is a riot on the senses – culture, design, food, colour, scents. It’s frenetic but there are plenty of calm places to escape including mosques, gardens and tea houses. Dripping in history, this city has more than a few stories to tell, having been the centre of some of the world's most famous empires.
Image by Anna/Unsplash
When: Spring (Mar – May)
Flight time: 3hrs 24mins
Average day temp: Mar 8⁰C /Apr 12⁰C /May 16⁰C
Highlights
- Sample some breathtaking architecture at the Blue Mosque – decorated with over 20,000 glistening blue Iznik tiles, 260 stained-glass windows, calligraphy and floral motifs.
- Check out the shoppers’ paradise at the Grand Bazaar – one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, dating back to the 1400s, there are now over 60 covered streets filled with over 4,000 shops.
- Don’t miss the ostentatious Dolmabahçe Palace, the former administrative center of the Ottoman Empire – also worth viewing from the river on a Bosporus river cruise.