Imperial Istanbul : A Travellers Guide - Jane Taylor - I.B. Tauris

Jane Taylors classic guidebook to Istanbul is acknowledged as the ultimate introduction to the city. It leads travellers 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 descriptions of all the sites that any visitor could hope to see, this is the only guidebook that a traveller to Istanbul will ever need.

Taylor has impressive historical knowledge and writes with elegance. This is a brilliant book about a brilliant city.

-Anthony Sattin, Book of the Week, The Sunday Times

At last - a highly informative but at the same time eleganty written guidebook to one of the most fascinating of the worlds cities, equally readable on site and in bed. I only wish I had this book on my first visit to Istanbul; I shall certainly never go there again without it. -John Julies Norwich

An invaluable guide. -The Times

Among the best guidebooks. -The Sunday Telegraph