P E R F E C T 1 0
I S T A N B U L
living history
Stroll around
Sultanahmet
Square and take in
2,500
years of
Greek, Roman,
Byzantine and
Ottoman history.
blue beauty
Check out the
famous Blue
Mosque, which
takes its name
from the blue
tiles that adorn
the interior
.
bird life
Listen to the bird song in
Gülhane Park and spot the
parakeets, reputed to be
descendents
of escapees
from Topkapı Palace.
man-made marvels
Istanbul’s
Byzantine land
walls stretch for
6.5
km and repelled
invaders for over
1,000
years.
palatial splendour
You could pay to tour
Topkap
ı
Palace, but entry
into the huge outer
courtyard complete with
Byzantine ruins is free.
sea views
Take the train from Sirkeci to
Yedikule, enjoying fabulous
views over the Sea of Marmara
as it winds through the ancient
Byzantine sea walls.
transcontinental
Take the ferry from
Sirkeci to Kadıköy and
back (price is for two
one-way tickets) to
check out the Asian
side of the city
.
+
€1.70
+
€0.00
+
€0.00
+
€2.60
+
€0.00
+
€0.00
+
€0.00
Talking Turkey
It’s easy to do this big city on a budget of just €10 a day
meat feast
Treat yourself to a classic
Turkish doner chicken kebab
from the famous
kebab
vendors
in Taksim
Square.
=
€10
+
€0.00
+
€3.10
happy hour
Have a relaxing
evening half pint
(30
cl) of beer on the
Galata Bridge over
the Golden Horn and
take in the view.
+
€2.60
aladdin’s cave
At 550 years old, and with over
3,000
shops, Istanbul’s Grand
Bazaar is one of the world’s
oldest and most
fascinating
shopping malls. Go explore.
WORDS
DAVID O’BYRNE
PHOTO
ALAMY
T H E R E G U L A R S
0 3 5
