Edward Stourton’s Istanbul – Telegraph

The broadcaster Edward Stourton explains his love of Istanbul in Turkey, ‘one of the world’s great cities’.

WHY ISTANBUL?

When I first visited in the Seventies it seemed a rather sad place. But it’s back to what it ought to be: one of the world’s great cities.

It’s not the first time that Istanbul has gone from being the centre of the world to fading away again – but it’s good to see this crossroads between East and West, on the Bosporus, back in business. The only sad thing is that the city’s Christian culture has more or less died.

ANYTHING SPECIAL I SHOULD PACK?

Oddly enough, probably an umbrella. One of the surprising things about Istanbul is that you think it’s going to be sunny all the time, but it rains a lot, which may help explain the city’s slight air of melancholy. However, it can be very beautiful in the rain.

WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO?

I always go to have a look at the Hagia Sophia, which was originally built as a church in the fourth century, became a mosque when the Ottomans took over Constantinople, and is now a museum. It’s an incredible building and the sheer scale of the place takes your breath away. An absolute must-see.

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO STAY?

The Ayasofya Mansions (0090 212 513 3660; www.ayasofyakonaklari.com; doubles from €170/£150), which boasts a great location close to some of the city’s most important landmarks.

WHERE WOULD YOU MEET FRIENDS FOR A DRINK?

I can’t think of a particular bar but there are lots of trendy cafés and bistros in Ortaköy, one of the city’s trendiest areas, lying on the European side of the Bosporus.

WHICH IS THE BEST PLACE FOR LUNCH?

I like the Ayasofya Mansions’ courtyard restaurant, which is quiet and shady and has a rather beautiful little garden.

AND FOR DINNER?

There’s a very nice restaurant called Rami (517 6593; www.ramirestaurant.com), named after a painter, which serves very good traditional Turkish food in an old-fashioned Ottoman-like setting.

WHERE WOULD YOU SEND A FIRST-TIME VISITOR?

The Basilica Cistern, the largest and most impressive of the ancient cisterns beneath the city. The huge subterranean system, with its arched columns, dates back to Roman times and has to be seen to be believed.

WHAT SHOULD I AVOID?

It’s a pretty safe city and I’ve never had any trouble there. But the traffic is utterly appalling – so my advice is to use the trams, or the boats where possible.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING HOME?

If you go to the Grand Bazaar – imagine a type of vast ancient shopping mall – you can buy anything from spices to carpet and jewellery. The last time I was there I bought a page from an illuminated 19th-century book.

IS THERE ANYWHERE THAT ISN’T YOUR KIND OF TOWN?

Among my least favourite places are Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta, where kidnappings are all too common, and – at the other extreme – Los Angeles, which I’ve always felt was pretty heartless and horrible.

* ‘Diary of a Dog Walker: Time Spent Following a Lead’, by Edward Stourton, is out now (Doubleday, £12.99).

Istanbul essentials

Getting there

British Airways (0844 493 0787; www.ba.com) has flights from Heathrow to Istanbul from £331, Turkish Airlines (0844 800 6666; www.turkishairlines.com) from £399 and easyJet (0843 104 5000; www.easyjet.com) from Luton to Istanbul (Sabiha Gokcen) from £333.

Packages

Original Travel (0207 978 7333; www.originaltravel.co.uk) has three nights at the Sofa Hotel in a Tranquility room with breakfast including return flights to Istanbul, plus a full day with your own private guide, from £620.

Getting around

Take the tram, or rather travel on an old-fashioned one, the Istiklal Caddesi Tram, which runs between Tunel station and Taksim Square (every 15 minutes; tickets about 50p); ticket collectors were traditional uniforms in keeping with the 19th century style of transport.

Teatime

Take afternoon tea listening to the piano in the elaborate Kubbeli Saloon at the Pera Palas Hotel (377 4000; www.perapalace.com). The hotel dates back to the late 19th century and was built to accommodate passengers from the Orient Express; the place still oozes a sense of history. There are also some delicious pastries and cakes available at the French-style Patisserie Pera.

Art world

The Istanbul Modern (334 7300; www.istanbulmodern.org) has been suggested as the city’s answer to the Tate Modern. New Works, New Horizons shows the evolution of contemporary and modern Turkish art; currently this is also Paradise Lost, a collection of photographs showing how ecological changes have affected the world in recent years.

Street walking

Head down the elegant Istiklal Caddesi which houses a fine collection of palaces, churches and shops. Among them are the Divan Literature Museum, St Mary Draperis (which dates from 1789), St Antoine and the Renaissance-style British Consulate. If it’s food you require, try Nevizade Sokak, a street dedicated to fish restaurants.

via Edward Stourton’s Istanbul – Telegraph.