Fodor's Pocket Islanbul, 1st Edition: What to See and Do If You Can't Stay Long (Pocket Guides) [Paperback]

Eugene Fodor (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pocket Guides | Publication Date: March 30, 1999

Pocket Guides are designed for leisure and business travelers who want the highlights of a
destination.  They contain full, rich descriptions of the best a destination has to offer -- the most
worthy sights, the best restaurants and lodging in all price ranges, plus shopping, nightlife, and
outdoors highlights.


The Best of Istanbul -- with all the essentials

All the must-sees, including the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya, and the Spice Market
Top shopping -- how and where to buy one-of-a-kind kilims, colorful textiles, and hand-crafted jewelry
Essential excursions to the Princes Islands, Edirne, and the fishing villages along the
Bosporus

        

The best dining and lodging in every price range
Romantic bistros, waterfront fish houses, authentic kebab stands, and the lowdown on local
cuisine
Luxurious palaces, modern high-rises, Ottoman-style town houses, and cozy antiques-filled
pansiyons



Endorsed by the American Society of Travel Agents

Pocket Istanbul is excerpted from Fodor's Turkey
"Fodor's can't be beat." -- Gannett News Service
"Fodor's always delivers high quality...thoughtfully presented...thorough." -- Houston Post
"Packed with dependable information." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"An excellent choice for people who want everything under one cover." -- Washington Post

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Pocket Guides are designed for leisure and business travelers who want the highlights of a
destination.  They contain full, rich descriptions of the best a destination has to offer -- the most
worthy sights, the best restaurants and lodging in all price ranges, plus shopping, nightlife, and
outdoors highlights.


The Best of Istanbul -- with all the essentials

All the must-sees, including the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya, and the Spice Market
Top shopping -- how and where to buy one-of-a-kind kilims, colorful textiles, and hand-crafted jewelry
Essential excursions to the Princes Islands, Edirne, and the fishing villages along the
Bosporus

        

The best dining and lodging in every price range
Romantic bistros, waterfront fish houses, authentic kebab stands, and the lowdown on local
cuisine
Luxurious palaces, modern high-rises, Ottoman-style town houses, and cozy antiques-filled
pansiyons



Endorsed by the American Society of Travel Agents

Pocket Istanbul is excerpted from Fodor's Turkey
"Fodor's can't be beat." -- Gannett News Service
"Fodor's always delivers high quality...thoughtfully presented...thorough." -- Houston Post
"Packed with dependable information." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"An excellent choice for people who want everything under one cover." -- Washington Post

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Tales of the City



Though it is often remarked that Turkey straddles Europe and Asia, it is really Istanbul that does
the straddling: the vast bulk of the country resides comfortably on the Asian side. European Istanbul
is separated from its Asian suburbs by the Bosporus, the narrow channel that connects the Black Sea,
north of the city, to the Sea of Marmara, to the south. Already 1,000 years old when conquered by
Emperor Constantine in AD 326, Istanbul (then Byzantium, later Constantinople) was made capital
of the Roman Empire in the East and survived long after the western capital fall.



Most of the finest Ottoman buildings in Istanbul date from the time of Süleyman the Magnificent who
led the Ottoman Empire to its highest achievements in art and architecture, literature, and law.
Süleyman commissioned the brilliant architect Sinan to design buildings that are now recognized as
some of the greatest examples of Islamic architecture in the world.



Istanbul has its modern side, too, with all the concomitant traffic jams, air pollution,
overdevelopment, and brash concrete-and-glass hotels creeping up behind its historic old palaces.
But the city is more than grime and noise. Paradoxically, its beauty lies in part in the juxtaposition
of the ancient and the contemporary. Some of the perks that come with modernity are luxury hotels,
designer clothing stores, and Western-style department stores. These are today's monuments, which,
alongside the elegant mosques and majestic palaces built by and for yesterday's titans, dominate and
define splendid Istanbul.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Fodor's (March 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067900291X
• ISBN-13: 978-0679002918
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,614,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Travel > Asia > Turkey > Istanbul

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, May 7, 2007

By 

Dean G. Nowacki "Susan N." (Santa Rosa CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fodor's Pocket Islanbul, 1st Edition: What to See and Do If You Can't Stay Long (Pocket Guides) (Paperback)

Great book to study ahead of time and small enough to take with you. We ended our cruise in Istanbul and had 3 days to visit. This book was very helpfull.