Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hafız Mustafa (
Click here
)
is a great spot to enjoy a glass of tea and sweet treats such as baklava and
fırın sutlaç
(rice pudding).
For a cheap and tasty lunch, head to Sefa Restaurant (
Click here
), a popular
lokanta
(eatery serving ready-made
Turkish food) - try to arrive at the start of service, as dishes tend to sell out quickly.
The Fish
The cistern was built to store water for the Great Palace of Byzantium, a sprawling com-
plex occupying the area between the Hippodrome and the Sea of Marmara. After the Con-
quest, it supplied water to irrigate the gardens of Topkapı Palace. Decommissioned in the
19th century, its shallow water is now home to ghostly patrols of carp and goldfish that
can be seen from the cistern's elevated wooden walkways.
