First impulse was to write a „10 things you can do in Istanbul” type of article. Then I realized it was too cliche, and anyway „10 things…” is way too little to describe a 14 million people city, going towards 20 million people with the metropolitan area and unofficial residents.

So there are a number of things you can do in Istanbul, through my lenses.

First of all you need a genuine Turkish coffee, to get rid of the jet lag:

And then you can start by visiting the Grand Bazaar, the best place for the oriental flavor of Istanbul:

You can have your shoes professionally polished for 15 lira:

You can pet all the cats in the world. Istanbul is the capital of the cats. Period. If you are into cats, Istanbul is a must-see:

You can eat gözleme, prepared in front of you:

Pay attention though to the huge amount of sweets available:

You can have a glass of fresh juice for 5-7 lira:

You can let the city entertain you:

Even if sometimes things get serious:

You can visit the mosques, museums and palaces. I have been visiting Istanbul for the 3rd time now and it still has plenty of new things to offer:

You can walk down the large shopping boulevards:

Or lose yourself on the small, picturesque streets:

You can relax on the Bosporus:

Or anywhere:

Especially during the April tulip festival:

For the end some random pics of this beautiful city, Istanbul: