Istanbul has always been a stunning beauty: from head to toe, her curvaceous shores are lined with grand palaces and villas; her seven hills are dressed in green parks and red roofs; her accessories are glittering domes and minarets. But her main attraction has to be her dowry: the waters of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus.
The Bosphorus is Istanbul's lifeblood. One of the most strategic straits in the world, it is also one of the most beautiful. Dividing Europe and Asia and connecting the Black Sea to the Marmara, it is spanned by two magnificent bridges. Ferries, yachts, tankers, cruise ships, speedboats, oil rigs, fishing boats, aircraft carriers, military ships and even the occasional rowboat vie for space on Istanbul's busiest artery. Istanbul's other famous stretch of water, the Golden Horn, is a freshwater estuary that divides the European bank and it gets its name from the color of its waters as the setting sun melts into it. An excellent natural harbor, it was home to the Byzantine and Ottoman navies and used to be closed off with a gargantuan chain.
Between the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn lies the triangular Sultanahmet peninsula, home to the Old City. This is where the best-known monuments, mosques and palaces are clustered. At its core stand the five pillars of historic Istanbul - Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque, the Haghia Sophia, the Hippodrome and the Basilica Cistern. Nearby, the legendary Covered Bazaar (also called the Grand Bazaar) has over 4,000 tempting shops in its labyrinthine arcades. Sultanahmet is also home to the best-known museums, like the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, the Archaeological Museum, Calligraphy Museum and Mosaic Museum.
In the past, Istanbul's European side consisted of the Old City plus a series of scattered districts and villages along its shores. These neighborhoods have merged into a seamless whole, but they still maintain a definite sense of individuality. As a result, the city has no center. No Place de la Concorde, no Times Square, no Trafalgar. Instead, different activities are focused in different areas. Each region reveals a layer of Istanbul life, a shimmering veil of Salome.
On the opposite shore of the Golden Horn, Istanbul drops a veil to reveal a thoroughly modern face. The district of Beyoğlu is Istanbul's SoHo - a carnival of bars and restaurants, movie theatres and clubs, art galleries and bookstores, theatres and shops, churches, synagogues and mosques. The pedestrian Istiklal Caddesi (Avenue) forms Beyoğlu's backbone. Istanbul's most elegant, most obviously European neighborhood is nearby Nişantaşı, its streets packed with designer labels, stylish cafes, chic restaurants, trendy bars, elite boutiques and stunning Art Nouveau apartment buildings.
Istanbul is a huge city hosting millions of lives and thousands of different realities. Most of its residents live on the Asian shore, an area usually missed by visitors to the city. Here, you can witness a more authentic vision of Istanbul life, as well as a stunning view of the wonders on the opposite shore. Whether you drive over one of the two bridges (Boğaziçi or Fatih Sultan Mehmet) or take a ferry across the Bosphorus, the journey to Asia is one you are guaranteed never to forget.
While the hubbub of the city can be hypnotic, those seeking a respite should head by ferry to the nearby Princes' Islands. Büyükada, (aka Big Island) the largest, is an idyllic retreat where horse-drawn carriages remain the most modern form of transport.
Sadly, as the veils fall, Istanbul somewhat reveals her age. Like any ancient city faced with rapid development, Istanbul has an unfortunate side - noise, smells, crowds and clever con artists. But even these belong uniquely to Istanbul and are a part of its magic: its noise is that of thousands of syncopated calls to prayer mixed with the latest number one single blasting from music stores; its smell is of pungent spices mixed with Chanel No. 5; its crowds are a mix of every race, culture and creed, and its con artists have the decency to offer you tea before "taking you for a ride" politely - and in your own language.
The child of Europe and Asia, Istanbul is a remarkable and beautiful blend of East and West. But she is much more than a pretty face. Her role on the world stage as arbitrator of cultures has never been more relevant or more promising. For all this, Istanbul remains essentially unknowable: the final veil tantalizes but is never dropped.
Read more at The Guide Istanbul.
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