Things To Do in Istanbul

Istanbul is a city that has successfully incorporated a rich past into a promising future -- no small feat considering the sheer magnitude of history buried under those cobblestone streets. Three of the greatest empires in Western history each claimed Istanbul as their capital; as a result, the city overflows with extraordinary sites all vying for equal time. Conveniently, all of the top sights are located on or immediately around Sultanahmet Park, but that by no means is an indication that there's nothing worth seeing outside of that neighborhood. A dizzying number of restoration projects are underway in the Old City (of which Sultanahmet is a part) and Taksim, Beyoglu, Çukurcuma, Galata, and Tünel. In these Beyoglu neighrborhoods, you can stroll past freshly restored turn-of-the-19th-century ambassadorial palaces and barracks, converted 16th-century waterhouses, and crisp, minimalist museums, all while shopping for an expensive pair of Levi's.

The number of restorations and modernization projects scheduled to be unveiled in time for 2010, when Istanbul ascends to the throne of European Culture Capital, is simply dizzying. At the head of the list is the Ayasofya: After several years of cleaning, preserving, restoring, and uncovering, the upper galleries are again open to the public. Even more exciting is the removal of the interior scaffolding, which had been obscuring the unobstructed splendor of the dome since 1993.

Hours & Admission Costs for Mosques & Churches -- Unless otherwise noted, opening hours for mosques and churches are daily, from dawn to dusk; unless otherwise noted, admission is free.

Fishing for Customers: Local Shop "Commissioners" -- The dregs of Turkish society mill around the entrances to the major sites in Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque, Ayasofya, Topkapi, and the Hippodrome), lying in wait to pounce on you (and a percentage of anything you buy) with apparently harmless -- even helpful -- offers of assistance. It's called "fishing" in local jargon, and you're the fish. The point is to gain your confidence, so that you trust this person and the people/places/shops he recommends. If you don't mind the company, that's your choice. But in the event you buy, rest assured that after the transaction is completed, your new friend will find his way back to the shop (or hotel) for his cut.

Catch the Ottoman Mehter Band Outdoors

That must-see Ottoman Mehter Band that I tout so much no longer requires that you head over to the Military Museum in the middle of your day. There's now a performance every Friday, an hour and a half prior to noon prayers, right in front of the Eyüp Sultan Mosque. After the music and a visit to the mosque complex, hop onto the brand-new cable car for the 2-minute ride up to the top of Pierre Loti Hill. In the summertime, you can catch the spectacle at the far end of the first courtyard of Topkapi Palace, under the Babüsselâm Gate (Gate of Salutation, or Middle Gate) at 11am on Wednesdays and outside Dolmabahçe Palace at 10am on Tuesdays.

Constantinople's Defensive Walls

Even before the arrival of the great Roman emperors, the city on the hill (then called Megara) was a target for attack. Persian King Darius I took the city in 512 B.C.; then in 478 B.C., the Athenians squeezed out the Persians. Alexander the Great reinforced the city's Hellenistic bend, until in 146 B.C. the city came under Roman domination. For the next 350 years, the city basked in the glow of Pax Romana, notwithstanding Septimus Severus's massacre and destruction of the city when, having proclaimed himself emperor, he was met with resistance by the citizens loyal to his opponent, Pescennius Niger. When Severus rebuilt the city, he expanded the original boundaries to those enclosed by a defensive wall running roughly north to south from the Galata Bridge around the Hippodrome to the Marmara Sea. Constantine's walls again enlarged the city, forming a ceinture that expanded the city out into the middle of today's Fatih district. Nothing of either the Severus or Constantine walls survive.

Perhaps it was the renown of the Grand Bazaar that put Istanbul on the map of the world's great shopping destinations. But it's the hunting grounds of Old Istanbul, the elegant boutiques of Nisantasi, the burgeoning of homegrown designers, and the revival in traditional handicrafts and artwork that have kept it there.

Local Lingo -- Walking through a bazaar or past a restaurant entrance may elicit a "buyurun" or "buyurun efendem," both of which are expressions of courtesy. Buyurun has no English equivalent; it's used as an invitation to "Please feel free" (to look, to come in), or as a "You're welcome," much like the Italian prego. Efendem is a highly polite gender-neutral form of address that also means "Pardon?"

What Should I Buy?

The first thing that comes to mind when plotting a plan of attack for acquisitions in Istanbul is a rug, be it a kilim or tribal carpet. Carpets, kilims, and a whole slew of related items that have lost their nomadic utility comprise an indescribably complex industry, but it is unlikely that you will get very far before being seduced by the irresistible excess of enticing keepsakes.

Most people are unaware that Turkey manufactures some of the best leather items in Europe, comparable in quality to those sold in Florence, Italy (and in some stores in Florence, the merchandise is Turkish). Because leather items are individually produced in-house, quality and fit may vary, but the advantage of this is that you can have a jacket, skirt, or trousers made-to-order, change the design of a collar, or exchange an unsightly zipper for buttons at prices far less than what you'd pay back home.

The entire length of Kalpakçilar Caddesi in the Grand Bazaar glitters with precious metals from the Nuruosmaniye Gate to the Beyazit Gate. But Turkish-bought gold and silver are no longer the bargains they used to be, as the cost of precious metals -- particularly gold -- continues to skyrocket. However, cheap labor in China and India might still keep Turkish jewelers from pricing themselves out of the market, so all hope is not lost.

Some of the world's best meerschaum comes from Turkey. This heat-resistant sea foam becomes soft when wet, allowing it to be carved into playful pipes that would make a collector out of the most die-hard nonsmoker. An afternoon in a historic hamam will expose you to some of the most beautiful traditional white copper objects, available as kitchen and bathing utensils, although keep in mind that you can't cook with this toxic stuff unless the inside has been coated with tin.

As far as antiques go, shopkeepers seem to be practiced in manufacturing bogus certificates of origin that will facilitate your trip through Customs, but beware: The certificate may not be the only counterfeit item in the shop. Collectors should keep in mind that it is prohibited by Turkish law to export anything dated prior to the 20th century without the proper authorization from a museum directorate.

Less traditional items can easily fill a suitcase, and with clever Turkish entrepreneurs coming up with new merchandise on a regular basis, you won't get bored on your second or third visit. Pillowcases, embroidered tablecloths, ornamental tea services, and brass coffee grinders are just some of the goodies that never seem to get old.

A Note About Bargaining

That old measure by which you offer the seller half of his initial price is old hat. They've caught on to our shopping savvy, and in fact they don't care. Plenty of stupendously wealthy Russians and groups of cruise-ship passengers with weighty wallets provide easy targets. Still I've heard that a good rule of thumb is to offer about 25% less than you're willing to pay. In my experience, you must hold off your counteroffer for as long as you can get away with it. This method will meet with counteroffers and varying responses, and after a few times you might succeed in talking the price down. If the shopkeeper stonewalls, remember there's another one selling the same stuff next door. You'll get the hang of it.

Another bargaining tool: Narrow down your choice to two pieces. Snub your first choice and put it down (with plans to come back to it later). Negotiate on your second choice -- undoubtedly one of the finer samples in the shop, and therefore one of the pricier items on sale. Once you've established that it's out of your price range, turn to your first choice with a disappointed "and what about that one?"

Your VAT Refund

Foreigners (and Turkish citizens with residence abroad) are entitled to a VAT (value-added tax) refund, worth 18% of the total amount of merchandise acquired during any one purchase. One word of caution, though: There's an ongoing scam where a merchant will ask you to sign an invoice (written in Turkish) that actually states you have already received your VAT refund at the point of purchase. Imagine handing over your paperwork at the airport (including the receipt with your signature) only to learn that you have essentially waived your own right to the refund without knowing it. Simply put: Don't sign anything you can't read.

To receive a refund, present the merchandise and receipt to the Customs inspectors on your way out of the country (but within 3 months of purchase). Refunds are issued in the form of either a Global Refund check, redeemable at the Is Bankasi branch on the Arrivals level, or as a credit to a credit card account. The Customs Tax-Free office at the airport in Istanbul, located in the International Departure Terminal, is open 24 hours a day. They take a commission, though, so that 18% gets reduced to about 12.5% -- hardly worth the wait unless we're talking about major-ticket items.

Primarily a destination for those seeking historical enrichment and a taste of the exotic, Istanbul presents itself to visitors in a number of unexpected ways. One of those ways is as a sophisticated, citified, cosmopolitan denizen of the night. When the sun sets and the spotlights go on, Istanbul squeezes into a slinky black dress and invites its various and varied communities along for the ride. Dozens of rooftop lounges and exclusive Bosphorus-front restaurants are transformed into the living rooms of the smart set. Informal and sometimes raucous restaurants or tavernas teem with the pent-up energy of the long workweek. Students gyrate to the futuristic sounds of techno music while some of their classmates, with arms raised in the air, snap their fingers to the percussive rhythms of traditional Anatolian folk music. The energy is palpable, and as new and innovative nighttime destinations open up weekly, Istanbul is fast becoming a credible rival to Europe's other nightlife meccas.

Taking in Turkish Nightlife

A typical evening on the town will involve large amounts of food accompanied by even greater amounts of raki, that aniseed-flavored spirit known as "lion's milk" -- traditionally consumed in a meyhane, a tavern or pub where patrons gather to eat and drink. Where meyhanes were once the realm of men only, today they are a hybrid of the lively taverna and sophisticated restaurant, the most popular ones found primarily in the back streets of Beyoglu. On summer evenings, the main dining room moves to the rooftops (if it's not already there), where guests are treated to the twinkling lights of a timeless city.

The saraphane or wine bar and the counterpart to the birahane, or beer hall, is a more recent nightlife trend in Istanbul thanks to the ever-improving quality of Turkey's wines.

Live music is a staple of Turkish nightlife, and Istanbul's cafes, clubs, and Turkish Houses (Türkü Evleri) all provide inroads to the niche of your choice, be it jazz, pop, funk, rock, techno, or traditional Turkish folk music. Bars, cafes, and nightclubs in Istanbul are generally not categorized according to the type of music they play, choosing to book instead groups with different styles from night to night. A good rule of thumb is: the earlier the hour, the softer the music. Rock and pop resounds onto Istiklal Caddesi, where bars, cafes, and clubs, a few of them seedy, are too numerous to cover. Another good rule is to avoid spots with neon lights and security guards and anything with the word "nightclub" or "club" in the name, as these have the reputation of being the seedy places where bad things happen to good visitors.

Türkü Evleri are cozy little cafe/restaurants that book Turkish folk musicians performing typical Anatolian ballads to the accompaniment of the saz and drums. Clustered around Büyükparmakkapi Sokak in Beyoglu, the cafes also serve basic Anatolian fare in a cozy setting, usually a narrow room with banquettes lining the two walls with just enough of an open aisle in the center for dancing as the hours wane.

Meanwhile, no denizen of the night will be able to look him/herself in the mirror without having stood at the velvet ropes of one of Istanbul's mega-clubs on the Bosphorus. While different years find these multiplexes with ever-evolving names, the themes and locations stay the same and invariably involve multiple candlelit restaurants, numerous bars, a dance floor, strobe lights, and fresh breezes off the Bosphorus, only inches away.

Clubs that book popular musical acts may sell tickets or impose a cover charge where normally there is none, but unless the headliner is very popular, tickets to most performing-arts events and concerts can be purchased at the location the day of the performance. For tickets to the city's main events, contact Biletix (a Ticketmaster company; tel. 0216/556-9800; www.biletix.com).

Hotel lounges or rooftop bars provide a mesmerizing alternative to wall-to-wall smoke-filled cafes. All over the city, splendidly romantic views present themselves from almost every rooftop, or you can succumb to the dubious appeal of one of the several Turkish Night shows around town.

The neighborhood of Ortaköy is particularly vibrant on summer evenings, when streets lined with outdoor vendors selling crafts, jewelry, and the like create a festival atmosphere. Hip waterside restaurants and coffeehouses are open until late, or you can graze through the stalls of food and gorge yourself on stuffed mussels.