The online guide to Istanbul
Welcome to Cornucopia’s new and ever-evolving travel guide. Our goal is to provide an indispensable companion for travellers to Istanbul and Turkey and for those in search of all things Turkish around the world. We begin in Istanbul, for centuries Europe’s most populous metropolis and capital of its largest empire. Here we focus on the historic core, starting with the Old City’s palaces and bazaars before crossing the Golden Horn to the European quarter, sailing up the Bosphorus and escaping to the Princes Islands in the Sea of Marmara
Sultanahmet and the historic Old City
The peninsula of the Old City was Constantine’s New Rome and Ottoman Stamboul. At one end Topkapı Palace, at the other Topkapı Gate; between are bazaars, baths, museums, views and shrines too numerous to count. Take good shoes
Beyoğlu and the European City
Art, entertaiment, business and fashion are all based north of the Golden Horn. From bohemia in busy Beyoğlu to cosmopolitan cool in Cihangir, and from upmarket shopping in Nişantaşı to high-rise offices in Levent
Our guide
We have divided Istanbul into five areas: the historic peninsula of the Old City, the Golden Horn, Beyoğlu and the traditionally European quarter, all the way to Levent, both shores of the Bosphorus and the European and Asian coast of the Sea of Marmara, including the Princes Islands. As you explore, all manner of useful tips will be whispered in your virtual ear, from where to find the best view to who to read when resting in the garden of the Topkapı. Enjoy Istanbul!
The Marmara Coast
Most cities make a big deal of their sea-front. Istanbul has so much water around, the Marmara Coast goes relatively untroubled. And the Princes Islands are a car-free refuge just off-shore.
The Golden Horn
Once it was the hub of commercial life, its shores lined with bustling quays and the biggest concentration of mosques, churches and synagogues in the city. But the tide turned on this famous Bosphorus inlet and it became a backwater lined with gently crumbling districts of old palaces, city walls and shrines, places to discover as you head for the great monuments on the hills
The Bosphorus
The narrow strait that links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and the Mediterranean is the reason for Istanbul’s pre-eminence. Its banks offer ideal places for a day’s excursion, though to enjoy them all could take many weeks
Welcome to the guide
From what to see to where to stay, eat and shop, Cornucopia’s online guide is an unparalleled travel resource available to Cornucopia readers. Iyi yolculuklar!Regional wine tours
