Istanbul

A vibrant mix of ancient and modern straddling two continents, Istanbul – formerly known as Byzantium, and then as Constantinople – has attracted more than its fair share of rampaging armies and international traders over the centuries thanks to its strategic location across the Bosphorus strait. Ruled by both the Greeks and the Romans before the Ottomans took centre stage, Istanbul was also the final stop on the legendary Silk Road linking Asia with Europe, and physical reminders of these myriad influences are found across the city, from the Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia to the domes and minarets of Ottoman mosques and palaces that pepper the city skyline.

Although no longer the capital, Istanbul remains the vibrant economic and cultural heart of modern Turkey, a thriving city where calls to prayer vie with the cries of street hawkers, commuter boats shuffle across the Bosphorus and modern galleries and nightclubs throng with the city’s young inhabitants.

The museums, hotels and restaurants remain very much open for business, and as some travellers stay away, the ancient sites are quieter and prices more reasonable.