Istanbul Tourist Information

Comprehensive introduction to Turkey 's cultural capital

Shopaholics will find themselves in seventh heaven in Istanbul, and most make a beeline for the grand bazaar to test out their haggling skills. Silver and gold jewelry are popular and amber is worryingly cheap by western standards. There is also some fine marquetry, and if you buy yourself a backgammon(tavla) board you'll have people queuing up to play - and no doubt beat - you. Then there's the ubiquitous carpets, and this site has got some unusual tips on how to hammer the price down ' go to great lengths to explain that you live in a rented apartment, lost your job two weeks ago, have to support your mother-in-law, wife, mistress, and eight children by each, and are looking for a cheap rug to cover that hole in the floor that you can't afford to repair'.

From the above it's surprising to find the site is set up by the Istanbul municipality. There's an exhaustive listing/review of the city's museums(even Florence Nightingale has one dedicated to her), and when concubines become 'ladies of the palace' it's quite endearing. Some of the further flung attractions will prove invaluable to those staying in the city for more than a few days, by which time you will want to escape the bustle. The Princess' Islands are a favorite with the locals and easy to get to by ferry.

People-watching is another popular pastime and nowhere more so than among the cafes of Ortakoy, on the banks of the Bosphorous - also a good spot to take a cruise from. At the end of an inevitably sweaty day in Istanbul clicking on the Hamam(Turkish bath) section will give you the low down on the more salubrious establishments, an otherwise treacherous area. The last of the great baths Cagaloglu(jah-ah-loo) is within walking distance from Sultanahmet, and though a little more expensive than most, it's the real deal.

www.ibb.gov.tr

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