istanbul

Steeped in history, the diverse & magical land now known as Turkey traces its culture to the Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. We started our trip in the sprawling, beautiful city of Istanbul where Europe and Asia magically converge, on the Bosphorus Strait, and home to the iconic Hagia Sophia, with its soaring dome and Christian mosaics, the massive 17th-century Blue Mosque and the circa-1460 Topkapı Palace, former home of sultans.  We stayed at the chic Soho House Istanbul, occupying the 19th century Palazzo Corpi in the historic & lively Beyoğlu district, walked in circles throughout the the labyrinth-like Grand Bazaar,  tasted rose teas, exotic salts, and Turkish delights at the Spice Market, crossed from Europe to Asia in a ferry for an (amazing) dinner with friends, and stripped down (separately) in a 16th century Turkish bath, the Haseki Hürrem Sultan Hamam.