Getting there: Istanbul
(IST) offers direct
flights to and from
hundreds of destinations.
Getting around: Internal
flights link Istanbul with all
major tourist destinations
in Turkey, or step onto the
vast rail network, which
includes the famed Orient
Express. The Metro is the
quickest way to move
around Istanbul.
When to go: Spring and
autumn offer clear skies
and mild temperatures,
while sunshine makes
summer a popular season
on the coast. Istanbul is
good to visit year-round.EssentialsCLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Church interior,
Göreme Open Air Museum; view over
Mardin; Life on shore opposite Maiden’s
tower; Akdamar Island; Göbeklitepe; the
antique Pool of Hierapolis.Lake Van and
Akdamar Island
The city of Van is truly ancient.
Some of the oldest stories in the
world point back to Anatolia, telling
me this fascinating country is even
older than Noah, whose ark is said to
have landed upon the snow-topped
peak of Mount Ararat. While the
archeological evidence is disputed,
the legend remains, along with some
remarkable alleged descendants —
the strange and beautiful white cats
of Lake Van. Said to be ‘touched by
Allah’, the snow-white cats stand out
due to their affinity for water and
their alluring mismatched eyes: one
blue, one yellow. Across Lake Van
is the sacred outpost of Akdamar
Island. Over a thousand years old,
the Cathedral of the Holy Cross
dates back to the time of Armenian
kings. Striking carvings cover the
outer facade, recounting the Biblical
tales of David and Goliath, and
Adam and Eve.Istanbul
A city at the centre of the world, Istanbul boasts
a skyline of domes and minarets, skyscrapers
and elegant bridges. Istanbul is a flurry of
motion, art, and good food. Draped over hills and
shorelines, the city pulsates with the urgency
of today and the momentum of tomorrow. Yet
despite the twinkling modernity of this global
metropolis, Istanbul loves tradition — Turkish
coffee in Beyolu, Friday prayer, a visit to the
hammam (Turkish bath), or hunting for bargains
in Çukurcuma’s antique shops. Every day feels
new because each street offers an unexpected
reminder of the past — a block from a Roman
temple laid into the foundation of a mosque, a
fragmented Byzantine mosaic peeking out from
the stucco, or a kitten napping in the window
of a grand Ottoman facade. And beyond that, a
glittering skyline of TV towers and glasshouses.
Each new layer is built on the one before, now
home to millions who share the history of these
stones, and who live in a land named after the
ever-rising sun.IM
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