Istanbul Things to Do

Istanbul also offers a wide array of regional and specialty Turkish dishes. Here are a few that you should definitely sample, many of which can be found on the street.

True to its reputation as Turkey’s most cosmopolitan and eclectic city, Istanbul certainly knows how to party, effortlessly blending the traditional with the modern, for one enormous New Year’s Eve street bash.

The phrase “whirling dervish” – as it is used in English – suggests someone out of control, spinning madly, directionless. In fact, true whirling dervishes practice a very controlled art with roots in Sufi beliefs. Their rituals – ceremonies known as “Sema” – are far from spontaneous, requiring intense training and rigorous discipline. With arms raised and wearing voluminous robes which spread out as they twirl, the dervishes aim for a trance-like state intended to intensify contemplation. In 2005 the Sema ceremony was declared a masterpiece of intangible heritage by UNESCO.

Going to Istanbul? Prepare to be astounded, for Istanbul is one of the most intriguing metropolises in the world.

For more than 1600 years the city served as capital for two major world empires, first of the Byzantines and then of the Ottoman Turks, and has remained the cultural capital of Turkey since the country’s founding in 1923. The brilliance and beauty of this long legacy can be found throughout the city, in its monuments and in the spirit of its people.

Throughout its extensive history Istanbul has also been attracting a certain type of traveler. As a “bridge” between Europe and Asia, the city has lured in foreigners from the West to see at first hand the mysteries of the East, and from the East to see at first hand the mysteries of the West.