Istanbul attractions: what to see and do in summer
Our Istanbul expert, Terry Richardson, suggests what to see and do in the city this summer, with advice on upcoming exhibitions and shows, and where to stay.
11:40AM BST 26 Jul 2012
Istanbul has become a year-round destination. Midsummer is sultry, but this is a great time to enjoy an outdoor meal at a Bosphorus-front fish restaurant, or Turkish coffee at a pavement cafe.
- Read Terry Richardson’s complete travel guide to Istanbul
July and August
Istanbul Modern (istanbulmodern.org) hosts Fifty Years of Urban Walls (continues until September 23), a retrospective of the works of Burhan Doğançay. At the same venue After Yesterday documents the development of photography in Turkey from the Ottoman-era to the present (until September 23).
- My hotel pick: Richmond Hotel – a well-run hotel, mixing period charm and contemporary style.
Up the Bosphorus, the wonderful Sakıp Sabancı Museum (muze.sabanciuniv.edu) hosts Cobra – 1000 Days of Free Art (until September 16), an exhibition of the works of post WW2 avante gardists of Amsterdam, Brussels & Copenhagen.
The gardens at the Sakip Sabanci Museum (photo: Alamy)
Also here, the calligraphy collection has been re-vamped and re-launched as the Arts of the Book and Calligraphy Collection, plus While a Country is Changing – an expo of Turkish painting from the Ottoman reformation to the Republic.
Well-regarded Canadian singer-songwriter Feist takes stage at trendy Santralistanbul (santralistanbul.org) on August 25.
- My hotel pick: Büyük Londra Hotel – a budget option right in the heart of buzzing Beyoğlu.
The shopping district in Beyoğlu (Alamy)
September
Funk-rock superstars Red Hot Chili Peppers hit Santralistanbul on the 8th. Six days later another American soul legend Stevie Wonder also plays former power-station cum arts centre Santralistanbul (14th).
French-Canadian Cirque du Soleil perform their acrobatic spectacular Alegria at Ülker Sports Arena on the 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th.
Classical music lovers will flock to the Haliç Congress Centre to see the Berliner Philharmoniker on the 27th, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.
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