It's rude to stare, but every time I visit Dolmabahce Palace, that last imperial gasp of Ottoman grandeur, I have to do it. Not because the building is magnificent (it is, but that's by the way). No, I stare because the sentries that stand immobile in front of its gates are so handsome that not to look would be a sin. And, not wishing to incur divine displeasure, I make a small pilgrimage to Dolmabahce every time I visit Istanbul.
I've been coming to the city for more years than I care to count - sometimes in order to research my Inspector Ikmen crime series but sometimes just to hang out and see what happens. My last visit, which was in January, involved among other activities: attending a Syrian Orthodox church and having tea with its Aramaic-speaking priests, and meeting with a very helpful dervish.
Of course, I could talk at length about the places one should visit when in Istanbul: the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya - the list goes on. However, because I visit often and tend to spend quite a bit of my time off the beaten track, what follows will be somewhat idiosyncratic. After all, my characters do live and work in the city and, although their investigations sometimes take them to the "great" sights, they also spend a considerable amount of time in little-known neighbourhoods.
Balat is probably my favourite neighbourhood. Situated on the left bank (old city side) of the Golden Horn, it was once the Jewish quarter, housing thousands of Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain and given refuge by the Ottoman empire in 1492. Some Jews still remain and are served by local synagogues, the oldest and most impressive of which is the Ahrida. Now, however, Balat's magnificent fortress-like houses provide homes to many different types of people.
One of the best things to do in Balat is to walk up through the tiny streets, lined with odd and gorgeous houses, to the Greek boys' school, a great red-brick affair that is impossible to miss, and then stare down at the two great Istanbul waterways, the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. All the better if you can do this at sunset, to the sound of the muezzin's call to prayer.
The mosque that is closest to my heart is the Suleymaniye. Constructed in the 16th century for Suleyman the Magnificent by Sinan, the greatest architect the Ottoman empire ever produced, it offers magnificent views of the waterways. Rising up from behind the Kapili Carsisi (grand bazaar), the Suleymaniye is a vast complex comprising the mosque itself, a caravanserai, hospital, school and soup kitchen. For me, this quiet and serene place is spiritually, as well as aesthetically, uplifting.
Over in what is known as the "New" or "European" side of the city is an area called Beyoglu. Built largely in the 19th century to accommodate Levantine merchants and their families, Beyoglu holds an embarrassment of riches. A walk down its main thoroughfare, Istiklal Caddesi, is not just a shopper's delight but an ethnic and cultural experience, too. Along its length can be found Catholic churches, a whirling dervish monastery, a fish market (with added Armenian Orthodox church behind an ancient wooden door), Galatasaray Hamam (Turkish bath) and the Galatasaray lycée, where 19th-century Ottoman princes went to school.
Nearby are the British consulate and the atmospheric Pera Palas Hotel, where Agatha Christie, Mata Hari, and other luminaries, including the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustapha Kemal Ataturk, once stayed. Time exploring Beyoglu, either on foot or using the old-style tram that runs along Istiklal Caddesi, can very usefully be arranged around excellent eating and shopping experiences (see below).
Back at Dolmabahce, provided one can tear oneself away from the sentries, the palace is definitely worth a visit. Fronting the Bosphorus, this vast white confection has 285 rooms, six Turkish baths and the largest throne room in Europe, containing the heaviest chandelier in the world. Opulent to the point of eccentricity, Dolmabahce is the biggest Ottoman palace on the Bosphorus and is the place where Ataturk died on November 10 1938. His simple bedroom, which is preserved as if he was still alive, contrasts starkly with the imperial splendour that characterises the rest of the building.
Places to eat
Poor food is hard to find in Istanbul. From the delicious fish sandwiches sold from the boats at Eminonu, right up to the poshest restaurant in town, it's all good.
One of my personal favourites is Boncuk, on Nevizade Sokak behind the Balik Pazar in Beyoglu. Small and friendly, it serves an excellent selection of Turkish dishes and a few Armenian specialities, too.
Above the entrance to the Misir Carsisi (spice bazaar) in Eminonu is Pandeli's Restaurant. Serving classic Turkish food, this place, which is only open at lunchtime, has been an Istanbul institution since Ottoman times. Its decor alone - it is lined with the most gorgeous Iznik tiles - makes it worth a visit.
Rejans (Emir Nevrut Sokak 17, Galatasaray, Beyoglu) was founded back in the 1920s by white Russian émigrés and still serves some dishes from that country. Not cheap, it is, however, one of the places favoured by the Istanbul elite - some of whom, including Turkey's most famous author, Orhan Pamuk, have their own seats.
Bars
There are so many, it's almost impossible to recommend anything. However, my personal favourite is Kaktus on Imam Adnan Sokak (off Istiklal Caddesi), Beyoglu. Small and friendly, Kaktus attracts a mixed clientele of artists, writers and journalists. Great for people on their own and lovers of cats - Kaktus cherishes its feline residents. Good food, too - particularly the cheese platter.
Shopping
The Kapali Carsisi (grand bazaar) is great fun - so long as you can stand the pace. I love it, but I prefer shopping for presents in the little alleyways leading off from the Balik Pazar. Small shops selling spangly scarves, Turkish slippers andjewellery proliferate. Cheaper than the bazaar, these little alleyways also contain fascinating antique and "junk" shops where the vendors are quite happy to let you sort through their piles of stuff for hours on end.
The Misir Carsisi (spice bazaar) specialises in food as well as other more arcane items. Enormous black olives at roughly £2 a kilo are a particular favourite. You can also purchase any spice your heart desires, lokum (Turkish delight), Iranian caviar, numerous teas and aphrodisiacs fit, apparently, for a sultan. Head out into the little streets around the Misir Carsisi and many of these things may be purchased at an even more reasonable rate.
For books, in English as well as Turkish, go to the Sahaflar Carsisi (book bazaar), which is beside the Beyazit Mosque, just a short walk from the grand bazaar. A quiet, learned atmosphere pervades this little bazaar with its ancient copies of the Holy Koran, exquisite 19th-century travelogues and novels in every language one can imagine. It is said that many of the vendors are dervishes - something I can easily believe if the gentle learned man who helped me to find a very rare book from the 1940s was anything to go by. Anyone more content and at one with his surroundings would be difficult to find.
Where to stay
A small friendly hotel is the Ambassador (approx $40 a night) in Sultanahmet. An old, rather dark building, it is tucked away behind the main Divan Yolu thoroughfare in Ticarethane Sokak, which readers of my books will immediately recognise as Inspector Ikmen territory. It is very handy for all the main sights and possesses a wonderful rooftop terrace offering fantastic views of Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Bosphorus. The friendly staff are a joy.
Way to go
Getting there: Turkish Airlines (020-7766 9300, turkishairlines.com) flies from London Heathrow to Istanbul from £176 return, including taxes. Offer ends June 13. A double room at the Ambassador Hotel costs from around £40 a night (+90 212 512 0002, hotelambassador.com)
Further information: Turkish Tourist Office, 170-173 Piccadilly, London W1 (020-7629 7771, brochure line 09001 887755, gototurkey.co.uk).
Country code: 00 90.
Time difference: +2hrs.
Flight time London-Istanbul: 3hrs.
£1 = 2,319,560 Turkish lire.
· Harem, the latest Inspector Ikmen crime novel by Barbara Nadel, is published by Headline at £17.99.
