Imperial Istanbul: A Traveler's Guide (Cinema & Society) [Paperback]

Jane Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cinema & Society | Publication Date: October 13, 1998

Jane Taylor's classic guidebook to Istanbul is acknowledged as the ultimate introduction to the city, and it has been extensively revised for this paperback edition. It leads travelers from the great monuments of Byzantium and early Constantinople to the mosques and palaces built for Suleyman the Magnificent and the other Sultans while providing both practical information and a rich historical context. It also covers more recent sites, ranging from the mundane (the Galatasaray fishmarket) to the magnificent pavilions and villas of late Ottoman times. In addition to Istanbul, the cities of Iznik, Bursa and Edirne are covered in extensive detail. Filled with maps, itineraries, plans and detailed descriptions of all the sites that any visitor could hope to see, this is the only guidebook that a traveler to Istanbul will ever need.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"At last - a highly informative but at the same time elegantly written guidebook to one of the most fascinating of the world's cities, equally readable on site and in bed. I only wish I had had this book on my first visit to Istanbul; I shall certainly never go there again without it." John Julius Norwich "Splendid erudition... the secret of Taylor's book is a delightfully lucid style." David Barchard, The Financial Times"

About the Author

Jane Taylor is a writer, photographer, and former TV producer. She lives in London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris; Revised edition (October 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860642497
• ISBN-13: 978-1860642494
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,210,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #77 in Books > Travel > Asia > Turkey > Istanbul

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Guidebook for Historic Istanbul, March 31, 2005

By 

Mark D. Merlino (Vancouver, British Columbia Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Imperial Istanbul: A Traveler's Guide (Cinema & Society) (Paperback)

If I could recommend any book for someone interested in having a serious and detailed guidebook of Istanbul, then this would be it. This book organizes the historical monuments in the city by time period and provides handy maps. The real value of this book however, is the great detail that is given in describing what is found at each monument. With this book, you would not need a tour guide. The book also contains interesting sections on Iznik, Bursa and Edirne. A reminder though that this book does not try to give details about accommodations, restaurants, or contain colour pictures of the monuments described.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good historical guide to Istanbul, but not the best, December 16, 2008

By 

Diego Banducci (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Imperial Istanbul: A Traveler's Guide (Cinema & Society) (Paperback)

This is a good, intelligently written, historical guide for the visitor to Istanbul who wants to venture out from the sights in the Sultanhamet area (which this book also covers quite well). Ms. Taylor is knowledgeable, and has a dry English sense of humor that sparkles throughout the book.

While obstensibly not a walking guide to the city, it is structured like one and can easily be used for that purpose.

Added features include tours of Iznik (Nicea), Bursa and Edirne, interesting places in their own right that are not covered by most other guides.

There is a later edition of this book available Imperial Istanbul: A Traveller's Guide: Includes Iznik, Bursa and Edirne. Unfortunately, it appears to be a cheap reprint of this book; its maps are of lower quality and difficult to read. Be sure to buy this edition and spare yourself some grief. The price is roughly the same.

All in all, a good guide to the city, although a better one is Strolling Through Istanbul (1972), but it is out of print may be difficult to find at a reasonable price.