Istanbul top picks

  Having got rid of the Latins' domination in the 13th century the empire of Palaiologos had never regained its former political and economic power. However, its cultural prestige still remained very high in the whole world. And if formerly historians used to emphasize the role of the Byzantine influence on the Italian Renaissance, now trying to diminish it, the decisive role of Byzantium in the cultural history of Slavic countries, which we… read more

  Going to visit Istanbul, it is better to decide in advance, where you want to go, what you want to see and taste in order to spend each hour of your time with pleasure and use. We will describe you some things, you have to do, and places, you have to visit in a mandatory manner.   First of all, the best thing, you can do in the very beginning, immediately after your arrival, is to find a hotel in Sultanahmet, the historical center of … read more

Every evening traffic jams occur on bridges, which literally unite the East with the West, for Istanbul is divided between Europe and Asia. It is by no means surprising, for 20 million people live in the city. That's why it is better to use the maritime transport of Istanbul, which is, of course, its most convenient peculiarity. Due to it, you will not have problem with traffic in Istanbul. So...  The main quays of the European part of Istan… read more

Wall fountains  This widely spread type of fountains appeared in the city after its conquer by the Ottoman Turks. It is a marble basin, built in the walls of houses. How water appeared there? There was a reservoir in the back of the wall, which was filled several times per month. It is surprising, that in Istanbul, where water is sold, any resident of the city could take water from these fountains without payment. The first wall fountain app… read more

When we speak about a cuisine, we mean a country, but Istanbul is an exception. Perhaps, it is the only city, which has its own cuisine, which is the mix of the simplicity of the Mediterranean cuisine, the splendor of the Ottoman one, the refinement of the French one, and features of many other cuisines. We present you the information about some of them here. Anatolian note in the cuisine of Istanbul Anatolia is a plateau in Turkey, its Eastern p… read more

Haci AbdullahThis cafe is in Taksim district, and its features are average price category, excellent cuisine in the Turkish style, and a very friendly staff. Residents of Istanbul come here to have supper, and it matters a good deal, because cafes, destined for tourists, are very expensive. A dinner without strong drinks will cost 20 American dollars here. Hacı BabaIt is situated right on Istiklal avenue, and offers excellent meat dishes, vegetab… read more

One of the main sights of Istanbul are its hamams. Luxurious bath is a place, where people do not only take bath, but relax, communicate, and enjoy the professional massage. Turkish hamam is the direct descendant of the Roman baths. Namely from the times of the Roman Empire there remained a big marble stone in the center of hamam, where visitors relax, before they are made professional massage. Additionally, many hamams are situated in the histor… read more

Istanbul is one of the few cities of the world, which became a megalopolis, but preserved its numerous parks. It is surprising that this city with 20 million residents is one of the most green and leafy cities in the world. Probably, it is conditioned by the interest of Ottoman nobility and sultans in parks and groves, which have been laid out in Istanbul for several centuries successively. There were cases when sultans presented to their courtie… read more

Aqueducts of Istanbul, built for the water supply of the city from the times immemorial, are still functioning. Constantinople, and later Istanbul, has always been famous for its magnificent architecture. It is by no means surprising, for at the beginning the city was the capital of the II Roman Empire, then of Byzantium, and later of the Ottoman Empire. Namely in the capital of the country architects could show their art and skills in the best w… read more

  The final farewell to the ancient world occurred when officials and fashionable women of Constantinople had stopped wearing Roman clothes   For decades Istanbul is if not the city-trendsetter, then it's pretty close. They organize fashion shows by the most bright world stylists, here the earliest in the sale and the newest collections from the most exquisite couturiers appear... Contrary to popular misconception, Istanbul does not bec… read more