Imperial Istanbul

Book excerpt: Jane Taylor's classic guidebook to Istanbul is acknowledged as the ultimate introduction to the city, and it has been extensively revised for this paperback edition. It leads travelers from the great monuments of Byzantium and early Constantinople to the mosques and palaces built for Suleyman the Magnificent and the other Sultans while providing both practical information and a rich historical context. It also covers more recent sites, ranging from the mundane (the Galatasaray fishmarket) to the magnificent pavilions and villas of late Ottoman times. In addition to Istanbul, the cities of Iznik, Bursa and Edirne are covered in extensive detail. Filled with maps, itineraries, plans and detailed descriptions of all the sites that any visitor could hope to see, this is the only guidebook that a traveler to Istanbul will ever need.