Istanbul is often described as a city of two halves, spread-eagled over the eastern tip of Europe and the western edge of Asia. But it is much more than that: ancient and modern vie for attention on both European and Asian sides, with gleaming glass towers overlooking the traditional wooden buildings that still cling to the banks of the Bosporus. My favourite journey, up the Bosporus from the Golden Horn – either by boat from Sultanahmet's busy port of Eminönü or on foot along Necatibey Caddesi, the main street on the European side – is the perfect way to see the city.
At the beginning of this journey, and as the ancient grandeur of the Topkapi Palace, Haghia Sophia and the Blue Mosque drift away, the Istanbul Museum Of Modern Art, in its striking, if somewhat unsightly, converted Fifties warehouse, comes into view. The contemporary art scene is still small in Turkey, but don't underestimate the high standards of exhibitions at the Istanbul Modern – I love to spend a morning wandering around, with the reward of delicious tea in its beautifully situated café.
Continuing up the Bosporus takes you to an altogether different era and style of Istanbul: the Dolmabahçe Palace, which was built in 1855 for Sultan Abdül Mecit, but became the official residence of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Although you can only visit by guided tour, the sheer extravagance and excess of the décor is a lot more fun than the more celebrated Topkapi, which is positively minimalist in comparison.
Once I've had my fill of the palace-lined shores of old-money Istanbul, I head uphill towards the modern face of consumerism in the main shopping avenue of Istiklal Caddesi. Make your way through the tight, winding streets of Çihangir and Galata, and once again you'll see old and new side by side. Sip espresso with the cool artistic set at Kahvedan on Akarsu Sokak or Tezgah, a café-cum-second-hand bookshop on Yeniçarsi Caddesi. Or shop in some of the best vintage shops I've come across (my favourites are Mozk Vintage Shop on Aga Hamami Sokagi and Matchbox on Matara Sokak), and browse the packed, ramshackle antique shops, like Güney Ticaret on Soganci Sokagi, that are full of dusty bric-a-brac. Yet wander a couple of streets away from this cosmopolitan enclave and you'll soon spot headscarved women hanging their washing out.
| Did you know? Istanbul has the world's third-oldest metro (1875), after London and New York |
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Istiklal Caddesi itself is nothing special, and is lined with familiar chain stores, but venture down any of its narrow side streets and you'll find plenty of cafés serving some of the city's most authentic Turkish coffee and tea.
When a sugar hit is what I need to make it the length of Istiklal Caddesi, I head for Inci, a small, wooden-panelled pastry shop dating from the Forties, about halfway down the street. It serves the most unctuous, cream-stuffed profiteroles I've ever tasted. And, as the only beverage on offer is a vivid yellow lemon drink, I'm sure to leave the place with enough energy to make it all the way to the Golden Horn and beyond.
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