Explore Istanbul: The best routes around the city

Explore Istanbul, part of a brand-new series launch for March 2014, is the ideal pocket companion for your trip: a full-color guide containing easy-to-follow routes that will take you from the awe-inspiring Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque to contemporary art at Istanbul Modern or the hagglers paradise that is the Grand Bazaar. The gateway to Asia, Istanbul is Europe s largest and most exotic city, where remnants of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires are fused with the dynamic buzz of a modern-day metropolis. Introductory chapters on Istanbul s cuisine, shopping opportunities, and Turkish baths set the routes in context and feature Insight s trademark cultural coverage. Hand-picked places to eat and drink are highlighted in each tour and in the directory section, which contains a wealth of useful practical information, including a range of carefully selected hotels to suit all budgets. All routes are plotted on the useful pull-out map, and evocative photography captures the atmosphere of this vibrant city.