Address: Splendid Palace Hotel, Büyükada-nizam, Yirmiüç Nisan Cd. No: 39, 34970 Adalar/İstanbul
8. Dance like a Dervish
The Whirling Dervish shows like that at Galata Tower are aimed at tourists – but if you want to go dancing with locals then head for Lucca, in the well-heeled waterfront neighbourhood of Bebek. By day, it’s a bistro and cocktail bar; after dark, the city’s most glam party destination for smart Istanbulites, with DJs on the decks every night and packed with gorgeous young things at weekends.
Address: Lucca, Bebek, Cevdet Paşa Cd. 51/A, 34342 Sarıyer/İstanbul
Website: luccastyle.com
Ottoman MansionGetty Images
9. Sleep in an Ottoman Palace
Ottoman sultans commissioned the most extraordinarily lavish residences – vast, marbled, gilded, and elaborately embellished inside and out. Many are now museums (Topkapı Palace and Dolmabahçe are highlights), while others have been turned into hotels, and the grandest is 19th-century Ciragan Palace, a waterfront wedding cake of a building in creamy marble, exquisitely carved. Now run by Kempinski, its five stars barely do it justice. Its Sultan Suite – two bedrooms, a dining table for 12, Bosphorus views through full-length windows, and canopied beds – is one of the most luxurious and, at €50,000 a night, one of the most expensive in the world.
Address: Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Yıldız, Çırağan Cd. No:32, 34349 Beşiktaş/İstanbul
For a more bijou (and affordable) taste of the empire, take over a two-bedroom restored Ottoman Mansion, colourfully decorated with mid-century finds within its raw-plastered walls.
Ferikoy flea marketAlamy
10. Sunday rootling
On Sundays, an antique market pops up in the neighbourhood of Feriköy, in Sisli. This is the real deal – you’ll see few tourists – and there are unique and unexpected treasures and proper bargains to be found. These objects lost and found also tell the tale of the city’s rich mix of inhabitants: discarded ephemera from the Ottoman era, old paintings and musical instruments, aristocratic jewels, vintage rugs from the East and gold tea sets from Europe.
Address: Feriköy Antika Pazarı, Cumhuriyet, Semt Pazarı No:8, 34380 Şişli/İstanbul
Website: ferikoyantikapazari.com
