Istanbul

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Along the shores of the Bosporus, Istanbul is where Asia meets Europe, where East blends to West. The city, which served as capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, is now a postmodern metropolis of contrasts: a polyglot of cultures, an intricate layer of faiths, with the kind of glass-sheathed restaurants and boutiques that would be right at home in London or Paris. Many travelers don’t venture far beyond the ancient neighborhood of Sultanahmet— home to the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque—which would be a
mistake. Istanbul is made up of a vast network of neighborhoods that are worth a visit, from the centuries-old Genovese colony– turned–shopping enclave of Galata and neighboring Beyoglu, to Kadiköy, a happening district on the Asian side.