At a glance · 5 reasons to go
Why Istanbul, Turkey.
Istanbul straddles two continents across the Bosphorus — the only major city on earth to do so — and a ferry ride between Europe and Asia costs the price of a tram ticket.
The Hagia Sophia (537 AD), the Blue Mosque, and Topkapı Palace cluster in Sultanahmet; the Hagia Sophia alone spans Byzantine cathedral, Ottoman mosque, and 1,500 years of history.
The Grand Bazaar — 4,000 shops across 61 covered streets — is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world; the Spice Bazaar nearby is a riot of saffron and lokum.
The food is extraordinary and democratic — balık ekmek (fish sandwiches) off the Galata Bridge, meze and rakı in Beyoğlu, and the best kebab and baklava you will eat anywhere.
A Bosphorus cruise at dusk, mosques silhouetted against the sky and the call to prayer rolling across the water, is the single most evocative thing to do in the city.
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Istanbul, Turkey
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Reviewed: 2026-05-23
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