Short break: Between the bazaars and the Bosporus

In Istanbul, where Europe meets Asia, Peter Moss finds a city of many layers best explored on foot

Amazing and exotic, cosmopolitan yet provincial, Istanbul is all that you would expect of a city that straddles two continents. The place is like a gigantic onion. At first glance you see something a bit brown and wrinkled. Pollution, earthquakes and the presence of some 12 million souls put a huge strain on the city. But peel away at the many layers and you will be richly rewarded.

Behind the city walls, on the European side, lie the mosques, palaces and bazaars that draw so many visitors. Beyond lie the Bosporus, the Golden Horn inlet, and the bridges that connect Europe to Asia. And when the call for prayer from the neighbouring minaret - wherever you are in Istanbul there's a neighbouring minaret - wakes you at five in the morning, you know you are at the gateway to the Middle East.

When to go

Istanbul is a city made for walking, so the weather is an important factor. Forecasts are largely pointless through late autumn and winter, when bright sunshine gives way to torrential rain at a moment's notice. It's best to wait until spring, when the parks beside the Bosporus are in bloom, and the moonlit sky casts a wonderful glow over the domes of the Blue Mosque. And April is the best time to watch the fantastic sunsets across Old Istanbul from the Galata Tower in the Karakoy district.

Turkey's film industry gets an airing at Istanbul's International Film Festival through March and April. June brings the Istanbul Festival of Arts and Culture - jazz, rock, opera, ballet and more - with tickets available daily from the Ataturk Kultur Merkezi on Taksim Square. And the Inonu Stadium, near the Hilton, hosts the noisiest soccer matches in Europe or Asia.

Getting there

Ataturk International Airport, Turkey's largest, is just 25 minutes from the city centre. Turkish Airlines (tel: 0171-766 9300) has three flights a day from Heathrow to Istanbul for pounds 133 return plus pounds 36 tax. This special offer depends on staying a minimum of three nights, maximum two weeks, and is valid until 26 December. Thereafter, flights start at pounds 180 return plus pounds 36 tax. British Airways' (tel: 0345 222111) prices start at pounds 189 plus pounds 36 tax, and most of its flights leave Heathrow between Monday and Thursday and require a Saturday night in Istanbul.

Where to stay

The European side, since this is where all the great attractions are. The lovingly restored Arena Hotel, Hamami Sok 13/15 (tel: 0090 212 458 0364), is around the corner from the Hippodrome and the Blue Mosque and is the ideal small hotel. Twenty-seven comfortable rooms, most with sea view, in an Ottoman house with a family feel. Doubles from pounds 70 a night, breakfast included.

Kemal Ataturk, the first president of the Republic of Turkey, favoured the Pera Palas (room 101, apparently) at Mesrutiyet Cad 98/100 (tel: 0090 212 251 4560). Agatha Christie and Mata Hari also graced its palatial public rooms and caged elevator. Doubles from pounds 110, breakfast included. Don't bother to ask for Ataturk's room, though. It's been turned into a museum.

The Four Seasons Hotel, Tevkifhane Sok 1 (tel: 0090 212 638 8529), is recommended for three reasons. It sits between the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque; it's commendably small for a chain hotel; and it used to be a prison. Doubles from pounds 150 with breakfast, and worth every penny for the wonderful location.

Quirkiest by far is the Kybele Hotel, a tiny, cute pension-cum-carpet shop, close to all the action at Yerebatan Cad 33/35 (tel: 0090 212 511 7766). Even if you don't stay there, see it lit up at night. One of Istanbul's hidden gems, a treasure trove of antiques and bric-a-brac. Doubles cost from pounds 50 - great value.

What to see and do

The Blue Mosque is a must. I defy you not to be moved by its cascade of rippling domes, which draw your eyes downwards while the six spear- like minarets pierce the sky. The Aya Sofya (Church of the Divine Wisdom) is, simply, one of the great buildings of the world. Mellow pink exterior, mosaic interior - breathtaking. Those Byzantines knew how to build. The same could be said for Topkapi Sarayi, a rambling complex of palaces and tranquil courtyards. You've seen the movie, with the famous diamond heist. Now see the real thing, 86-carat diamond and all.

The Yerebatan Sarayi (Underground Palace) is haunting - a dimly lit subterranean network of pillars and fountains, sitting on upturned gorgons' heads. Dripping water, moody lighting and classical music add drama to this underground reservoir.

Camlica Hill is a peaceful hilltop oasis with great views of Europe and Asia. To look back up at the hills, and the city walls beneath, take a midday cruise on the Bosporus, or simply shuttle back and forth between continents on the ferry for 40 pence a ride, waiter-served tea included. The views from the Bosporus are the best I know.

Upwards of 4,000 traders and shopkeepers give ample haggling opportunities at the Kapali Carsi (Covered Bazaar). All the sights and smells of Turkey under one vast concrete canopy. Best of all, just stroll along the Hippodrome - scene of ancient chariot races - and through the labyrinth of alleyways in the Old City. The place oozes atmosphere, though the quake-stricken wooden houses lend a certain poignancy.

After all that sightseeing, you'll need to visit the Cagaloglu Hamami, the 300-year-old, dome-ceilinged Turkish baths on Yerebatan Cad (tel: 522 2424). The whole experience, depending on your choice of services (steam bath, assisted body scrub, Turkish massage, etc) costs from pounds 5 to pounds 15, and you'll emerge utterly relaxed and thoroughly cleansed in body and spirit. One word of advice. When your masseur pummels you with willow branches, clenched fists and wet towels, submit gracefully. It's for your own good - allegedly.

Food and drink

The Sultan Pub, Divanyolu Cad 2 (tel: 528 1719) is all that a cafe-bar should be. Warm, woody, smoky, lively, with lashings of strudel and baklava. Plus it's in the middle of the action. Forget the word "pub" - this is a real caff, complete with magazines, papers and chess sets.

Osmanli Kahvehanesi (Ottoman Cafe), on Camlica Hill (tel: 0090 216 443 2198), may well be the funkiest room in the Ottoman Empire. You'll think you've walked into either a high-class brothel or a low-rent mosque. It is owned by the municipality, hence Turkish coffee and cakes for two with change from pounds 1.50.

Dining on a grand scale - like a five-a-side soccer pitch with murals instead of goals - is the order of the day at Daruzziyafe (tel: 511 8414) in the grounds of the splendid Suleyman Mosque. Traditional Turkish cuisine, starting with spiced aubergine salad, ending with caramelised rice-pudding, and whichever way you like your bull's testicles cooked in between. Around pounds 10 a head should do it, wine and coffee included. And tip the bull. He suffered for your lunch.

Non-meat eaters should check out the Kumkapi district, where seafood restaurants abound. I'm a pushover for kilic-sis (fresh swordfish skewered and flamed on a charcoal grill), and at pounds 5 a head it's great value at Minas, Samska Sok 7 (tel: 522 9646). Cosiest cafe award goes to the Med Cezir Cafe opposite the Four Seasons Hotel at Tevkifhane Soik 16 (tel: 517 2267). Great cappuccino, home-made pizzas, bizarre wall-hangings, and a daffy dog called Lady. They sell antiques, too.

Nightlife

In a word, endless. For starters, pick up the English-language Turkish Daily News for full concert and gig listings. Harry's Jazz Bar (tel: 225 7000) and the Kehribar (tel: 231 4100) offer decent music and expensive drinks late into the night. For Turkish jazz (no jokes, please, about Sultans of Swing) try the Jasmine Cafe-Bar, Akarsu Sok 10 (tel: 252 7266). Nightclubs with floor shows line the shores of the Bosporus, most of the chain hotels have casinos, and there are worse ways to spend a warm evening than taking a gentle night cruise on the river.

Deals and packages

Peter Moss's Istanbul visit was arranged by Travelscene (tel: 0181-427 8800), which offers two-night weekend breaks at the four-star Arena Hotel next spring from pounds 400 (three nights from pounds 438) per person, based on two sharing and with breakfast. This includes return British Airways flights from Heathrow, taxes and transfers.

Further information

The Istanbul Tourist Office is on Taksim Meydani (tel: 0090 212 245 6876). In the UK, the Turkish Tourist Office is at 170-173 Piccadilly, London W1V 9TT (tel: 0171-629 7771).