69ESCAPE (^) | HOME STYLE
W
ith its many towers, mosques,
churches and ornate palaces,
Istanbul boasts one of the most
romantic skylines in the world.
Thecityisredolentofallthingsexotic,trailing
a history of spice and silk trades, great empires
andvibrantcultureclashes.Muchofthisistodo
with its location: it straddles two continents –
one half in Asia, the other in Europe.
Unsurprisingthen,thatIstanbulwastheseat
of power for various civilisations for centuries,
including the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.
Itsgrandandillustrioushistoryisvisibleinthe
old parts of the city, where ornate buildings –
Byzantine churches, glittering domes, towering
minarets, Roman aqueducts – sit alongside huge
open-air markets and narrow cobbled streets.
The cosmopolitan past of the city is ref lected in
its vibrant and colourful interiors: walls are
prettily tiled, f loors are covered with rugs,
fabricsareluxuriousandteaisserved in glasses.
To introduce a little of Istanbul’s rich heritage
into your home, invest in a velvet armchair or
day bed, cover your f loors with patterned rugs,
tileawallwithglitteringmosaics, then recline
and sip mint tea. Hookah pipe, optional.
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(^1) Klein brushed brass tealight candelabra, £45, habitat.com (^2) Hemp and wool hand-woven dhurrie, £295,
theoldcinema.co.uk^3 Antique gold velvet Margot chaise longue, £449, made.com^4 Bloomingville Flora gold pendant
light and glass plant pot, £67, beaumonde.co.uk^5 Teal Leon ottoman, £239.99, my-furniture.com^6 Victoria & Albert
Turkish painted tile mug, £6, alanwardfurniture.co.uk^7 Aqua and amber belt vase, £45, nisiliving.co.uk^8 Ellora console
table, £225, habitat.com^9 Gold round mirror with black frame, £144, rossandbrownhome.co.uk^10 Souk verdigris round
metal pendant light, £67, artisanti.com^11 Townhouse mosaic marble with wood surround wall tiles, £432 per sq m,
bakedtiles.co.uk^12 Rosa gold velvet pouffe, £180, raggedrose.com^13 Zelliges multi-coloured Moroccan cushion, £35,
nisiliving.co.uk^14 Lisbon LIving blue crewel work cushion, £14, sainsburyshome.co.uk
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ILLUSTRATION: JOE MCINTYRE
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