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Istanbul

Turkey·Europe

Currency

TRY

Language

Turkish

Timezone

Istanbul

Continent

Europe

Our guide

Discover Istanbul

Istanbul is the only major city straddling two continents, and that geography is not a footnote — it shapes your day. Most of the monuments — Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi, the Cistern — sit within Sultanahmet on the European side, within walking distance of each other. The rest of the city needs a boat or a metro.

When to go

April to May, September to October. Summer is heavy and Sultanahmet is dense with crowds; winter can be grey and windy, but an empty mosque is worth the coat.

Getting around

Buy an Istanbulkart on arrival: it covers the tram, metro, funicular and — most usefully — the ferries. Crossing the Bosphorus on a public boat costs the price of a ticket and beats any tourist cruise.

Where to eat

Neolokal offers a contemporary reading of Anatolian cooking from Karaköy. For something plainer, the fish sellers of Arnavutköy and the muhallebici — milk-pudding shops like Saray — belong more to daily life here than to guidebooks.

Good to know

Topkapi closes one day a week, the Grand Bazaar another; the planner spreads them out for you. Bring something to cover shoulders and legs for mosques, and a scarf for women. Twenty-five halal addresses are listed, though in Turkey that is the norm rather than the exception.

Smart Planning