While it may be a lousy place to sleep, Taksim is an awesome place to be awake. Turn off Istikal Caddesi onto any side street and you’ll find a handful of taverns to choose from.
Nevizade Sokak is the densest of the tavern streets. Families tend to sit streetside at outdoor tables, while the young and agile climb steep flights of stairs to the surrounding rooftop bars.
Riddim has cheap drinks and a genius DJ. Mavi Bar is cozy, but never dull.
I know people will disagree, but unless you’re a huge history buff, Topkapi Palace isn’t worth the mob and the price. Even in the middle of winter, in a downpour, the crowds feel like Woodstock.
What’s more, while the art and architecture are certainly gorgeous, you can see similar pieces in the old buildings and galleries of Istanbul.[/mn_slideshow_slide]
It has all the opulence of Topkapi, but Dolmabahce offers a guide and a free harem tour. It’s the site of Turkey’s transition from empire to republic, from being the center of the civilized world to taking interior design cues from other cultures.
The Bosphorus views are fantastic, and there’s an aviary with some pretty goofy peacocks. Also, Dolmabahce has the second largest chandelier in the world (you win again, Dubai).
Turkey and Greece have a lot of similarities food-wise, but there are long-running disputes over who invented what. Turks are proud of their cuisine, and to suggest it’s an imitation can cause hurt feelings (or worse, anger).
The cheese may taste like feta to you, and the liquor like ouzo, but ask your waiter for the Turkish names and try to remember them.
The offering of tea is the traditional Turkish equivalent of “can I add you on Facebook?”
When you’re invited into someone’s home or shop for tea, it means, “I like your company, sit and chat with me for a while.” It’s considered rude to turn down food or drink, so unless you have a plane to catch, pull up a chair.
One of the loveliest traits of Turkish people is their tireless sociability, even through a language barrier.
Across from the Hagia Sophia, the Pudding Shop was once the meeting point of new-age travelers on the hippie trail to Kathmandu.
It’s no longer the flower child hangout of 50 years ago. The name is the same, but on the inside it’s just a tourist-oriented (and tourist-priced) restaurant like any other in the area.
Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi only makes a few dishes, but boy do they make them well. This is Turkish food for Turkish people, well-priced and always packed.
Try kofte, a type of grilled lamb meatball, or fill up on bean salad and lentil soup.
Traffic in Istanbul is plain ol’ slow, especially during rush hour. Give the cabs a miss — buses too.
If your journey is too far to walk, look into Istanbul’s extensive subway, Metrobus, and tram lines. They’re crowded but speedy.
Istanbul street life is one of the subtlest glories of the city — the narrow alleys, laundry hanging overhead, the sudden slopes and hills.
Steep-but-pretty Galata, where many cars fear to tread, is a hub of cool music stores, cafes, and arty residential pockets.
Women queuing at the visitors’ entrance of the Blue Mosque are often seen fretfully wrapping their heads in bazaar-bought pashminas to cover up tightly, headscarf-style.
Here, it’s not necessary for non-worshipers to cover their hair completely. Some guides will tell you it’s not necessary at all.
What’s more important is for your sleeves, neckline, shorts, and skirts to hit a modest length. No tank tops or short shorts, or you’ll be asked to use your new pashmina as a sarong.
Mosques have specific prayer times, but visitors can choose to pray whenever they visit. This means that while the mosque is open for tourists, worship is still taking place.
Try to talk quietly, please don’t use your cell phone, and if you want to snap pictures of people in prayer, at least be discreet about it. Also, be mindful of the separate men’s and women’s sections.
They’re cheap, ubiquitous, and oh so tasty, but you’d be shortchanging yourself by staying in this food rut.
Other common, delicious Turkish foods are saucy iskender kebap, lentil (mercimek) soup, and desserts like rice pudding (sutlac) or sticky ice cream (dondurma). Check out the sweets at a Mado Cafe.
There’s a point-and-choose place on every street in the city. From the window, you’ll see a dozen trays of different foods and a cafeteria-style counter.
These restaurants are inexpensive and fresh. Each dish will cost 2-5 lira, and if you go with a friend or two, you can sample and share the whole menu.
It’s a pretty tour, yes, but a relatively pricey one. The boat has plenty of seating, but the window seats fill up fast.
Your 3-hour stopover on the Asian side provides views of the Black Sea and the ruins of a small pre-Ottoman fortress. That leaves another 2 hours and 30 minutes of touts trying to draw you into their seafood shops.
For a better day trip, do what the Istanbullians do and hop a ferry to the Prince’s Islands in the Marmara Sea. It’s far cheaper than the Bosphorus cruise but still provides views of Istanbul and its southern waterfronts.
Once on the islands, you can swim, hike, and rent bikes. Buyukada, the last island on the route, is my favorite for its car-free streets and weathered wooden villas ranging from old-world gorgeous to 70s gaudy. 