Turkish Delight
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Nearby is the 17th century Sultanahmet Mosque. Most people – especially English-speaking tourists – know it as the Blue Mosque because of the brilliant blue marble used in what stands as the last of the imperial mosques. It’s difficult to believe the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia are separated by 1,100 years; their architectural styles are strikingly similar. The Blue Mosque stands out because of its six minarets.
No visit to this neighborhood would be complete without lunch at the Four Seasons, one of two hotels of the famous hotelier in the city. The Four Seasons Sultanahmet is a jewel among jewels. The main building began life as a prison for Turkish dissidents in the 19th century. Its recent renovation into a hotel involved the painstaking preservation of period artwork and antiques. Architects also kept its location in consideration while planning numerous rooftop terraces and a courtyard that afford spectacular views of the nearby Hagia Sophia. Within the courtyard is a glass pavilion that houses “Seasons,” the hotel’s gourmet hotspot.
For those who want a different scene, consider staying at the city’s other Four Seasons. It’s larger than the 65-room boutique hotel at the historic core and sits on the shore of the Bosphorus. With all that room come amenities like pool and cabanas along the waterfront and a spa that rivals any in Switzerland. Down the street from this hotel is the hottest nightclub in the city: Reina. Most of it is outdoors, under the Bosphorus Bridge, in a set-up that reminds New Yorkers of that city’s hip DUMBO scene.
A party warning, perhaps: Don’t go to Reina on an empty stomach. All that revelry with the most beautiful people that Istanbul has to offer will take its toll on even the heartiest of constitutions. Not to mention that a night of Red Bull and spirits at Reina can do a number on a man’s memory, too. So be sure to write down “Topaz” in your list of must-visit restaurants in Istanbul.
Topaz sits atop a bluff in the fashionable Taksim neighborhood with a view that, despite as many Red Bulls and spirits as you can down, will be one of the most memorable, for dinner or otherwise. What Topaz does best is to fuse traditional Turkish cuisine – dolmas, stuffed grape leaves, buttered rice, and anything made of chickpeas – with Western classics like the Chateaubriand for two.
A walk down the hill from Taksim will take you to the largest – and one of the oldest – bazaars in the world. The Grand Bazaar boasts 4,000 shops devoted to carpets, jewellery, copper, and ceramics. The other notable bazaar in the city is the Spice Bazaar, which sits next to the New Mosque, so named because it was built in 1663, a baby by the city’s standards.
When it’s time to fly home, they might have to drag you to the airport. But if you’re flying Turkish, chances are you’ll have a direct flight to wherever you’re going.
