Istanbul, the economic, cultural and historic center of Turkey has long been on my travel list. It is the only city in the world that straddles both Asia and Europe and has been the capital of three empires, The Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman. This bustling metropolis of 15 million people is sprawled across the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus Strait. The Bosphorus cuts the city in two and connects the Sea of Marmara in the south to the Black Sea in the north. In some areas, time has stood still here which can be witnessed in the locals who continue to carry out ancient traditions while modern art museums and hipster neighborhoods are popping up at every turn. The restaurants here are the best in the country, with local dishes such as mezes, kebabs and freshly caught fish stealing the show. It’s no secret that the tourism boom died here after the 2016 bombings and the failed military coup d'état, but I am happy to report that after years of rebuilding, the city is safe and business is rocking. The Peninsula Hotel and The Mandarin Oriental are slated to open 2021 and 2023 and Turkish Airlines recently added more international and domestic lifts, making this an easy add on to other parts of the country and the Middle East. I hit the ground hard, zig zagging through alleyways and racing up ornate staircases to soak up all the colors, aromas, sights and sounds of this chaotic beauty. It was even more magical then I imagined. The details below xx Elisa
STAY
We stayed at 2 hotels, Four Seasons Sultanahmet and Four Seasons Bosphorus to minimize the back and forth and to test out both sides of the city. While the locations were perfect for what we wanted to cover and the service top notch, I found both properties a bit tired. I regretted not staying at The St. Regis after I popped in for a site inspection with the team. While it may not sit on the coveted Bosphorus, the hotel was gorgeous and felt more like a museum curated with beautiful treasures which included Assouline travel books and over 1000 pieces of art from The Demsa Group’s extensive private collection.
St. Regis Istanbul
EAT & DRINK
Since our days were jammed packed, we did not have time for multi-course lunches. Our incredible guide Andan took us to local gems for authentic mezes and introduced us to Turkish street food specialties such as simit, gozleme and donor sold from the market stalls. We saved the trendy hotspots, Ruby, Sunset Grill and Mikla for cocktails and dinner.
THE SPICE MARKET
Built in 1664, the market is one of the most colorful and fragrant bazaars, selling numberless spices, Turkish delights, caviar, dried nuts, teas, honey, cheeses and meats.
PRO TIP: Pandeli Restaurant serves delicious local dishes, located just above the Spice Market. It is the perfect spot to break for for lunch.
THE GRAND BAZAAR
GB is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops. It attracts roughly 250,000 to 400,000 people a day, yes you read that correctly. The vendors carry a wide range of items that include antiques, jewelry, polished silver, lighting, ceramics and textiles.
PRO FAIL: I cannot believe I only packed a carry-on suitcase. The dollar goes quite far here and there were gorgeous ikat fabrics that I would have loved to purchased to make pillows for my home and beautiful kaftans, leather sandals and ceramic bowls.
HAGIA SOPHIA MUSEUM
A Christian place of worship for 916 years before being coverted into a mosque that served Muslims for 481 years. Today it is a public museum.
THE BLUE MOSQUE
A historical mosque known for the beautiful blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design.
TOPKAPI PALACE
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Palace served as the main residence and administrative headquarters for the Ottoman’s Sultans. The sprawling estate is spreader 4 courtyards with 400,000 square meters of gardens, buildings, gates and fountains. Today it is one of the top visited museums. in Istanbul and houses the Imperial collections.
P.S. Living like a Royal looked pretty good to me. I will never make sense of #Megxit
A PERFECT SATURDAY IN ISTANBUL
Brunch at Divan Brasserie in the trendy neighborhood of Bebek, stroll the markets of Kadikoy, check out the latest exhibits at Istanbul Modern, grab a light lunch across the street at Soho House, and end with a relaxing Turkish Hamamm or a private yacht cruise on the Bosphorus. We did both #ofcourse
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
GETTING HERE: Fly into Istanbul’s New Airport ( IST, and yes it is called the new airport) Center city is 30-45 minutes by car depending on traffic. The new airport, which opened last year will be completed in 2025, costing 12 billion dollars and will be the largest airport in the world. Every upscale brand you could possibly think of, LV, Gucci, Prada etc. had a storefront inside the terminals. The airport was overwhelming ( 818 million sq.ft) so having VIP fast track ( skip immigration lines) and a driver with a buggy to whisk us to baggage claim was an absolute game changer.
BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT: March -May, September-November
DURATION OF STAY: 3 nights was not enough. 4-5 would have been perfect.
IDEAL TRAVELER: Someone who is well travelled, one who appreciates history, culture and architecture.
P.S.Istanbul it is not a destination that one can just wing. The city is vast and spread out with a traffic situation that gives Los Angeles, Mexico City and Lima a run for their money. It is IMPERATIVE to have a well laid out plan, using private cars, trams and ferries wisely in order to minimize your movement and maximize your time. Smart casual shoes are a must as the majority of the sidewalks are uneven, cobbled or poorly paved. I highly recommend packing an extra suitcase. Between the shopping in the spice and grand bazaar and the boutiques in Bebek and Nişantaşı, you will need it.
THE LAST AMERICANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
This trip will always hold a special place in my heart as it was the last trip we took together before the Covid-19 crisis. The Corona Virus had already entered the US as we were departing and we almost cancelled our trip. JFK was practically empty at take off, a site I had never witnessed. The US closed our borders the day after we got home.
