Istanbul
Istanbul is not just a city of 2,000 mosques,
157 churches and 18 synagogues, it is also
home to some of the hottest nightlife in
Europe.
The hippest places are within easy reach
of each other on the European side of the
Bosphorous. Su Ada has the edge on the
private yacht scene as it is offshore. It is
vying the to be crowned the trendiest
night spot in Istanbul. Such places may
not be cheap, but they are always popular.
The restaurant with the best view in town
is Hamdi. It has been serving inexpensive
local produce made with the best local
ingredients since 1970. Mustafa Bey’s
family has expanded the restaurant and it
now boasts 500 seats across three floors.
The food is highly specialist - minced meat
pizza, yoghurt starters, and no one else
serves pistachio kebab like they do here.
Don’t miss it.
There is lots to see while you are here.
For those with only a short amount
of time, Guide Yirdiray Kirmizi quickly
identifies 25 stops on a city tour to beat
all city tours. There are five mosques, three
churches, four parks, four viewpoints,
three museums and other attractions.
not hire a bike and escape to one of the
distant beaches for that truly remote
experience.
Istanbul is a city break but one with its
own private island.
Experience the reliquary (Patriarchate
at Fener), the beautiful (St Giorgio), the
aesthetic (St Savior in Chora), the spiritual
(Church of Panagia of Blechernae, is a
leafy green, out of the way treasure),
the unusual (Tekfur Palace), the bustling
(spice market) and the sublime (the huge
underwater cisterns near Hagia Sophia).
One of Istanbul’s hidden treasures
requires a thirty minute ferry ride. The
sultan’s resort island of Büyükada offers
a taste of the resorts to be found around
Izmir, almost 600km to the south.
Were it not for Istanbul on the
horizon, Büyükada could be a distant
Mediterranean red-tile hideaway. Why
Destination Golf Turkey | Page 11