Exploring the largest city in Europe in one weekend may seem ambitious. However, if you only have a couple of days to spend in transcontinental Istanbul, as I recently did, here is a short guide to what to do and where to stay.

The Touristy Essentials While Istanbul sits between Europe and Asia, its historical centre lies in the European, continental side, and all its main touristic attractions lay within walking distance of each other, which makes it very easy to see them all in one day- useful if time is in short supply. The magnificent Hagia Sophia is undoubtedly top of the list. The epytome of Byzantine architecture, it was built as a Greek orthodox church in the 7th century, turned into a mosque in the 15th century and eventually transformed into a museum in 1935. Its beautiful dome and mosaics  will leave you speechless. The windows in the upper gallery offer a beautiful view of the Blue Mosque, another landmark built in the 16th century opposite Hagia Sophia. Also unmissable is Topkapi Palace, the former primary residence of the Ottoman sultans. Built in the 15th century, this oasis of peace has sprawling gardens, airy verandas and beautiful, intricate mosaics and paintings. As well as being easy on the eye, it also offers an interesting visual history of the sultans’ court, with its Harem, Imperial Treasury, Bath of the Queen Mother, amongst its plethora of elegant buildings. The Basilica Cistern will particularly appeal to those interested in architecture: a beautiful piece of historical engineering, this underground water reservoir, built in the 6th century, is also known as the “Sunken palace”, due to the 336 beautiful, 9 meters high imposing marble columns supporting its structure. A mere 15 minutes walk from all those historical landmarks is 15th century Grand Bazaar, one of the largest covered markets in the world, with 60 streets, 5 000 shops and its own mosques, hammams and police station! Not for those with a propensity for claustrophobia, but worth the visit for the atmosphere. On the other side of the Bosphorus (but still walking distance) is the Galata Tower, an imposing 65-meter high Medieval stone tower buikt by the Genoese is the 15th century. Situated at the top of the busy, commercial district of Galata, it has the added advantage of housing a bar at the top, with beautiful views of the city and the Bosphorus- although be prepared to queue. Of course, there is much more to Istanbul than those well known landmarks, just as there is more to Paris than the Eiffel tower or to London than Big Ben. However, they are all impressive and make for a great introduction to this beguiling city. read more