Golden Horn (Halic)
Dividing European Istanbul, this is one of the best natural harbors in the world. At one time, this was the center for the Byzantine and the Ottoman navy. Many commercial shipping companies were established here too. Today you will find beautiful parks and walkways along the shoreline. In the neighborhoods of Fener and Balat, you will find streets of churches, synagogues and old wooden houses that were built during the Byzantine and Ottoman era. The tomb of Eyüp is a shrine which attracts many pilgrims who go here in hope of having their prayers answered. Overlooking the shrine is a hill where you have a breathtaking view and can stop off at the café.

Leander's Tower (Kiz Kulesi)
The tower is built on a rock at the mouth of the Bosphorus in the early 18th century and replaces a fortress built by the Byzantines. It had been used as a prison and a quarantine hospital but now houses a restaurant and a teahouse. The tower is considered a romantic symbol due to an ancient myth regarding a disastrous love affair between a boy named Leander and the Aphrodite Priestess Hero.

Taksim Square
This square was named after the water distribution station that stood there many years ago. Once a cemetery, barracks were built around the square but some of them are now torn down. The Istanbul Technical University now uses the remaining buildings. This area is popular for shopping and entertainment.

Istiklal Street
Starting from the historic neighbourhood around the Galata Tower and running up as far as Taksim Square, Beyoglu is and has always been the foreign quarter and the scene of the city's ballrooms, theatres and nightlife. It reached its peak in the mid- to late nineteenth century, however, along the gas-lit Grande Rue de Peras (now Istiklal Street), the centrepiece for an Art Nouveau Belle Époque. French was spoken, top hats and tails required in the now boisterous Çiçek Passage and dispossessed Russian princesses arrived in droves to teach ballet and open restaurants. The Pera Palas Hotel was built to house visitors arriving on the Orient Express, which was completed in 1889. Today, visitors need to look carefully to see the remains of the Art Nouveau era in Istanbul, but it is well worth the effort, for example the Botter House next to the Swedish Embassy at the Tünel end of Istiklal Caddesi, with its propellor-like projecting daisies. This mile-long pedestrian street, Istiklal Caddesi, was once a swish European quarter and the evidence is still there, especially in the old passages that still retain much of their original architectural charm and caryatids, although many are now home to art cinemas, music shops and bars. If walking from Tünel to Taksim Square, up Istiklal Caddesi, noteworthy buildings are the Tünel Passage across from the Tünel tram stop, the Syrian Passage at number 346, the Alhamra at number 258 (now, a cinema), the Alkazar at number 179, the Aleppo at number 138, the Emek at number 124, which used to house an exclusive private club.

Flower Gallery (Cicek Pasaji)
Cicek Pasaji is the courtyard of the 19th century building Cite de Pera , which is located on the Istiklal Street. It was Istanbul's town hall for a short time. Today people meet here for snacks at the fast food places and enjoy fine dining in the evening. When you enter you'll see a courtyard with rows of benches in front of the restaurants. The building was updated several years ago and the courtyard was covered with a glass dome. In the 1920's, White Russian refugees tried to earn money by selling flowers and that’s how the courtyard became known as the Flower Gallery.

Galata Tower
The original tower was built in the 5th or 6th century and was reconstructed by the Genoese in the 14th century. Throughout the years, it has been used as a jail and dormitory. The most important event was when Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi attached wings to his arms and glided from the tower. From the top of the 200-foot tower you can see the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus, and the Marmara Sea. In the evening, you can enjoy entertainment at the nightclub/restaurant.

Grand Covered Bazaar
This is the biggest bazaar in the world with over 4,000 shops. The streets are a labyrinth of vendors selling carpets, jewelry, pottery, ceramics, brassware, leather goods antiques, spices, clothing and handicrafts. The largest section is the Nuruosmaniye Camii, where you will find a dome and a mezzanine decorated with columns and calligraphy. To find your way around, there are maps for sale at newsstands. You can easily lose your place in this huge maze but you will be mesmerized by all the shops and wares sold here.

Spice Bazaar
Next to the Yeni Mosque in Eminö, you will find shops filled with the aromas of spices. Built in the 17th century, this is the second largest covered bazaar in Istanbul. In addition to finding herbs, medicines and dried fruit, there are several boutiques selling a variety of merchandise.

Walking Tours
While Istanbul is a driver’s nightmare, it is a walker’s paradise – as long as sufficient attention is paid to the drivers who cannot be relied upon to stop at pedestrian walkways or even red lights. One recommended route is from the Kariye Museum along the city walls to the Golden Horn, where visitors can see the little visited remains of the last Byzantine Palace, Blachernae, including its grim dungeons. Jewish visitors may enjoy the backstreets of the Galata Tower area, which contain numerous synagogues and other religious buildings.

Bus Tours
There are a number of bus tour operators with English-language guides in Istanbul and there are details available at most hotels. Plan Tours (tel: (212) 230 2272; e-mail: operation@plantours.com; website: www.plantours.com) arranges city sightseeing tours, including Jewish Heritage tours, while Fez Travel (tel: (212) 516 9024; e-mail: feztravel@feztravel.com; website: www.feztravel.com), which is geared to backpackers, can organise sightseeing trips to ‘off the beaten track’ parts of town for small groups.

Boat Tours
In summer, tourist cruises of the Bosphorus (tel: (212) 522 0045) leave Eminönü pier 3 at 1030, 1245 and 1415, stopping 15 minutes’ later at Besiktas. The ferry makes its way up the Bosphorus, passing the city’s lovely wooden ‘yalis’ or seaside mansions, up to the old sea gates at Anadolu Kavagi. The trip takes two hours in each direction, with the option of stopping for lunch at the fish restaurants of Anadolu Kavagi. Plan Tours (tel: (212) 230 2272) also offers private dinner cruises.