In Istanbul

There are two Istanbuls. One is historic, an ancient city where Byzantine churches, Roman walls and Ottoman monuments constantly remind visitors that this was the capital of three great empires.

Then there is modern Istanbul, a vibrant metropolis of 15 million where traffic is controlled chaos, five-star hotels offer sumptuous accommodations and ambitious restaurants compare with the best of New York or London.

Istanbul today is the ultimate hybrid city, a beguiling conjunction of old and new, Asian and European, a place with options to fit the interests and budget of any traveler.

This summer, crowds should be sparser than usual and most prices are down. Turkey has been hit hard by the post-Sept. 11 travel decline and Mideast violence. Further, 18 months of recession have stripped the Turkish lira of 50 percent of its value against the dollar — it is now nearly 1.5 million lire to the dollar.

Prices are lower, though not half what they were a couple of years ago. And bigger bargains are available, especially for those willing to negotiate. Except in restaurants, bargaining is part of Turkey's entrepreneurial culture, and polite negotiation should not offend any shopkeeper or hotel owner. Even folks too shy to haggle should ask if they are getting the best price.

The high point on Istanbul's cultural calendar comes each June when the International Music Festival brings in musicians from around the world for three weeks. Most performances take place in Haghia Eirene, an atmosphere-laden jewel of a Byzantine chapel on the grounds of Topkapi Palace.

The festival, which opened Saturday, concludes July 1, when William Christie conducts Les Arts Florissants, the early-music vocal and instrumental group, in Haydn's "Seasons." Early music and period instruments are the emphasis this year, and the program includes I Solisti Veneti on June 19 and 20, and the Academy of Ancient Music from England on June 22.

Festival tickets, $10 to $100, can be ordered by phone, (90-212) 334-0700, extension 34 or 36, or by fax, (90-212) 334-0705. E-mail reservations: meric.soylu@istfest-tr.org. The schedule is at www.istfest.org.

On the heels of the music fest is the International Istanbul Jazz Festival, which opens July 5. There will be 35 to 40 acts over two weeks, ranging from favorites like Herbie Hancock to Antibalas, a New York group that is making a name with its blend of jazz and funk known as Afrobeat.

Performance sites are as varied as the music. Headliners perform in a 4,000-seat open-air theater and others play in more intimate settings like Babylon, a club at 3 Sehbender Street, just off Istanbul's busiest pedestrian boulevard, Istiklal Street.

At least one concert will be at Kiz Kulesi, or Maiden's Tower. Legend has it that a sultan's daughter was locked in this 12th-century island tower in the Bosporus near the Asian side to protect her from a prediction that she would die of a snake bite. More recently, Pierce Brosnan was held hostage there in the 1999 James Bond movie "The World Is Not Enough." Refurbished and now a restaurant, the tower provides stunning views.

Festival tickets are $10 to $50. Information: (90-212) 334-0739, fax (90-212) 334-0705, and www.istfest.org.

A stroll along Istiklal to the Tunel district on a Sunday afternoon can lead to some unusual sounds. Disciples of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, a Sufi mystic, perform a concert, complete with whirling dervishes, each summer Sunday at 5 p.m. Tickets are $6.80 and sell fast, so stop by the box office at Galata Mevlevihanesi, a museum at Galip Dede Caddesi, during the week because reservations are not accepted. Seating is also first come, first served. Information: (90-212) 245-4141, fax (90-212) 213-1059, www.emav.org.

Few cities offer as much history as Istanbul, and no place in Istanbul offers more than the Sultanahmet district, where three major monuments and numerous others are within walking distance.

Topkapi Palace, home to the Ottoman sultans for nearly four centuries, is worth a day itself for touring the grounds and exhibits like the harem and the treasury. At Babihumayun Caddesi, it is open daily except Tuesday. Admission is $10.20; (90-212) 512-0480.

Nearby is the magnificent Haghia Sophia, built as a Byzantine church in the sixth century and now a museum at Ayasofya Meydani, (90-212) 522-1750. Restoration work has recently been completed on the stunning upper gallery. Closed Monday; general admission is $10.20 and another $10.20 for the upper galleries.

Across a park from Haghia Sophia at Sultanahmet Meydani is the Blue Mosque, an active place of worship that is always open free. The mosque takes its name from the mainly blue Iznik tilework and is particularly magical at night. Proper attire is required: women should avoid shorts or short skirts and wear a scarf; donations are customary.

A Bosporus tour is delightful, especially in summer. The best — and cheapest — way to see the straits is by municipal ferries, which leave Bogaz Iskelesi dock in Eminonu at 10:35 a.m. or 1:35 p.m. daily for a 90-minute tour. You can get off for two hours in Kavaklar, a village on the Asian side famous for its fish restaurants. Tickets are $2.

Shopping in Istanbul is entertaining enough to qualify as sightseeing, particularly at the Grand Bazaar (or Covered Market) on Carsikapi Caddesi in the Beyazit district. The 450-year-old collection of about 4,000 shops winds through a vast network of covered streets and buildings. Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except Sunday, the bazaar is a cornucopia of wares, from mass-produced carpets and fake designer shirts to fine jewelry and antiques. By bargaining, expect to pay about two-thirds the asking price for most goods.

The best shops don't hawk their wares. At Eski Arts and Antiques, at Cevahir Bedestan, 7 Serifaga Street, Irfan Karatas sells antique jewelry and religious icons without moving from his cozy store. Stunningly detailed antique Russian icons can cost as little as $500 or as much as $5,000.

Nearby, at 93-95 Takkeciler Street, Dogan Bilgili sits patiently in his shop, where a lightweight, butter-soft leather coat for a man or woman is about $225.

Carpets are popular purchases, but buy with care. For people with expertise and money, or just money, a handful of shops sell antique rugs starting at $1,000 and ranging to the stratosphere. One is Naturel, on Evkaf Street at Ekmel Han No. 1, near the Grand Bazaar, (90-212) 516-7601, fax (90-212) 516-7603. It specializes in old carpets from Turkey and the Caucasus, some of museum-quality and priced accordingly.

The downturn in tourism is keeping most hotel rates reasonable, and a number of high-end places have weekend and other specials.

The Conrad Istanbul, Barbaros Boulevard, Yildiz Caddesi, Besiktas, (800) 774-1500, (90-212) 227-3000, fax (90-212) 259-6667, www.conrad.com, was the first of the city's modern luxury hotels and many of its 592 rooms have wonderful Bosporus views. After June 15, a standard double will begin at $130, including tax.

In the heart of Sultanahmet is the 14-room Seven Hills Hotel, 8/A Tevkifhane Street, (90-212) 516-9497, fax (90-212) 517-1085, and at www.hotelsevenhills.com. Rooms have hardwood floors and lovely rugs from a shop below, owned by the same family. The rooftop restaurant has great views. A standard double is $140, with tax and breakfast.

Budget: The Side Hotel and Pension, 20 Utangac Street, (90-212) 517-2282, fax (90-212) 517-6590, Web site www.sidehotel.com, is across from the Seven Hills, with 43 tidy rooms and a friendly atmosphere. A double is $50, in the pension $35, both with breakfast and tax. Pension rooms are smaller and don't have phones; some share a bath.

An interesting alternative for groups of three or four is Galata Residence, Felek Street, (90-212) 252-6062, fax (90-212) 244-2323, www.galataresidence.com. The hotel is in the city's oldest apartment building — dating from the late 19th century — and has 15 sparkling two-bedroom apartments, with a living room and full kitchen, for $100 a day.

Luxury: The Four Seasons Hotel, 1 Tevkihane Street, Sultanahmet, (90-212) 638-8200, fax (90-212) 638-8210, www.fourseasons.com, has 65 elegantly understated rooms in a renovated, century-old prison. A short walk from Sultanahmet's monuments, the hotel is an oasis of personal service, including spa treatments; the staff prides itself on knowing each guest by name. Summer rates are well below last year's: a standard double is $250 and a deluxe double, with balcony and view of the sea or Haghia Sophia, is $360.

Across town, directly on the Bosporus, is the opulent Ciragan Palace Kempinski, 32 Ciragan Caddesi, Besikstas, (800) 426-3135, (90-212) 258-3377, fax (90-212) 259-6687, Web site www.ciragan-palace.com. The Ciragan (pronounced chir-HAN) is actually two connected hotels — a restored 19th-century palace that was one of the last homes of the sultans and a newer hotel built and decorated in similar style. The hotel takes full advantage of its location, with two pools, gardens and terraces on the Bosporus. Prices for the 315 rooms have not dropped; a standard double is $320, a superior with sea view is $430.

When the hustle of Istanbul gets to you, Korfez Restaurant, 78 Korfez Caddesi, (90-216) 413-4314, fax (90-216) 413-4306, offers a respite. Tucked into an inlet on the Asian side of the Bosporus, it is best reached by a free shuttle boat from the dock near Rumeli Hisari fortress. The salt-encrusted sea bass may be the best fish dish in town, and the Turkish appetizers — mezes — are unusual and refined. Reservations are required; ask for a waterside table. Dinner for two with wine, $65 to $80. Open for lunch and dinner daily, except dinner only on Monday.

Chefs is a more inventive, hipper place, especially in its new summer location in Park Orman, Buyukdere Caddesi, Maslak, (90-212) 328-2000, fax (90-212) 328-2038. The two chefs who run it, Mike Norman, a South African, and Marco Anzani, an Italian, transform traditional Turkish ingredients into dishes like sea bass wrapped in potato and risotto with seasonal vegetables. Mezes come in tiny bowls so diners can sample many. Dinner for two with wine is $50 to $65. Lunch and dinner daily, except dinner only Sunday.

Despite its tourist attractions, Sultanahmet has few good restaurants. One is Balikci Sabahattin, Armada Hotel, 1 Seyit Hasan Kuyu Street, (90-212) 458-1824, fax (90-212) 458-1802, where traditional fish dishes, like jumbo shrimp baked in clay pots, are specialties. A meal for two with wine: $45. Lunch and dinner daily.

Sazeli Durum Evi, 76 Mualim Naci Caddesi, in Ortakoy, (90-212) 260-6969, serves outstanding grilled meat in a homey setting for great prices. The best dish is the Sazeli special kebap, a sizzling plate of minced smoked eggplant, grilled meat and cheese. A meal for two is about $8; no alcohol served, and no reservations. Lunch and dinner daily.

The Tarihi Nevizade Meyhaneleri is a collection of traditional restaurants serving mezes, fish, meat and raki, the national drink. They are off Istiklal, behind the Cicek Pasaji, or Flower Passage; finding them is half the fun, as you pass stands of fresh fish, vegetables and spices. Prices and quality are pretty uniform, though Demgah, 18 Nevizade Street, (90-212) 245-0964, is a cut above. A meal for two with wine or raki, $25; lunch and dinner daily.

NOPE, no Greeks at all, Serbs or Russians either.

I just had bad tourist experiences in Turkey and I want to add some information about it to the post. Plus, I hate the NYT!!!

And, by the way, my friends who went to Greece said there were a couple Greeks who were communists and vocally anti-American at some place they went. Other than that, the food was great and most of the people real nice! They love seafood and were in food heaven in Greece!! Darla came home with many new recipes.

Of course, you can russle-up some anti-Americans at any democRAT party function right here in the USA.

Their Turkish experiences were like mine...poorly prepared food, upset tummies, crooks trying to sell you garbage at gold prices, etc.

We belong to a travel group and have traveled ALOT...I can tell you about bad experiences from ALL the trips...But, as much as "a Turk" doesn't want me to say it....the OVERALL WORSE TRIP in my entire was to his country. That is just the way it is/was.

There's never any guaranty of course, just look at the suffering of Jesus. Never the less, that's the only way. Just love your neighbor, and show him you care. If we give up, it's because we're giving in to the proverbial devil.

Very true. Hang around, we need you.

"If I am no longer around in four to five years"

Hey,..don't say that Turk!!!! You better be!!! Heck, I've already been on this forum for 5!!! You'll be here. At least I sure HOPE so!!

Not to worry as far as tourist info.. remember, I graduated from Travel Agent School!!! :o) We both took it for fun, at night one year in Alaska. But NOTHING beats talking to ONE who KNOWS ;o)

FRegards friend!!

Just remember that we're all just human beings, and that nothing works better than individual acts of kindness at a close personal level.

So true.

If I am no longer around in four to five years...

Four or five years?? Great. Then I can count on continuing information regarding this important region.

BTW, it still sounds like a great vacation spot.
I can dream of a visit some day.

So, when did you get your new job with the Office of Tourism?:-)

Sounds like me posting "Buy, buy, buy" right after 9-11. Consumer spending is what is pulling us out of the recession in spite of the corporate accounting and stock analyst scandals.
Hope Turkey manages to pull out soon, too.

Thanks a_Turk,

I have several business associates/friends over there now and also in Ankara. One problem in Istanbul, there is a lot of traffic congestion. We were trying to set up a meeting in Istanbul last week and it took 3 hours for for one group to drive from one side of town to the other.

I went to Turkey last year before Septh 11th. I've been reading some of the bad experiences some of you have had . You can have a bad experience just about everywhere. The thing you have to keep in mind before go to a foreign country is whether bad experiences are typical of the place.

No, I didn't sense any anti-Americanism, for those of you who have asked. I've done a lot of traveling and I'd rate the Turks up there with the Japanese in the 'Friendliest People' category. I don't know if this has changed after Sept 11th. I was surpised with how modern the country looked. I was expecting it to be a lot less developed. Istanbul had a lot exotic stiff to see and but I liked the countryside better and the sunny coasts of Antalya. And the different colored buildings in the cities and town we passed though were really eye-popping.

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