Istanbul

Justinian's 537 cathedral, then mosque, then museum, now mosque again.

Sultan Ahmed's six-minaret answer to Hagia Sophia, across the square.

Ottoman sultans' residence for 400 years — harem and treasury inside.

Kapalıçarşı — 4,000 shops in a 15th-century covered market.

The strait that splits Europe and Asia — take the ferry both ways.

Musa Dağdeviren's Anatolian regional cooking — Kadıköy institution.

Modern Turkish in a tiled blue room — meze excellence.

Mehmet Gürs's Turkish-Scandinavian fusion atop the Marmara Pera.

Eminönü kebabs with the Bosphorus view from the rooftop.

Researched Ottoman palace cuisine — historical menu, near Chora.