Istanbul - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 56

Istanbul is a heaving metropolis, a city with a European feel mixed

with an Asian twist. Tourist office guides will tell you it is right at
the point where the West meets the East, which is really rather how it
feels. A curious mix but it works a treat. In terms of a family holiday it
means the experience of visiting Istanbul - which as the great and rich
city of Constantinople was at the heart of the Byzantine Empire for
nearly a thousand years from AD 500-1500 and later became the capi-
tal of the Ottoman Empire - will be startlingly different from most
European breaks.
A gentle walk around the city's Sultanahmet area or its Bazaar
Quarter, and seeing countless tiny streets, grand mosques, museums
and palaces, will be a little like walking through a history topic.
'Must-do' activities include taking a boat ride along the Bosphorus,
with great buildings such as the Suleymaniye Mosque and the fabu-
lously opulent Dolmabahçe Palace lining the cruise's route.
Children are perfectly catered for with the sights of Turkey all in
miniature at Miniaturk Park, just to the north of the city, while Feshane
Children's Entertainment Park has been specially designed with rides
and attractions that will keep the younger members of the family
amused for hours.
To get a feel for the history of the city, stop awhile at the Topkapi
Palace and see its priceless collection of jewels, or visit one of the city's
grand mosques. For something completely different visit the Grand
Bazaar, where huge fun can be had watching shopkeepers and buyers
trying relentlessly to agree a price. The gloomy underground cistern in
the Sultanahmet is one of the more unusual tourist attractions in the
city and a great place to hear your own voice echo back to you.
Istanbul, like the whole of Turkey, is child-friendly in terms of facili-
ties and most hotels have facilities like playgrounds and babysitting
services. Restaurants and cafes, too, usually offer children's menus with a
selection of ice creams and drinks, while eating out in the city can be a
cosmopolitan affair with eateries serving everything from French and
Spanish cuisine, American-style burgers, spicy Asian food and Oriental
dishes that should suit even the most discerning young palate.

ESSENTIALS

lively family in tow. Major air-
lines such as British Airways,
Lufthansa, KLM and Austrian
Airlines (see p. 34) fly into the
city on a daily basis, with many
others offering a regular service.
Some package tour companies,
too, feature Istanbul in their
itineraries.

Getting There
By Plane The easiest way to get
to Istanbul is by air. It's quick,
usually quite inexpensive and by
far the most stress-free means of
travelling from the US, UK and
other parts of Europe with a

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