Turkish delights: Why you should spend 48 hours in Istanbul

Turkey was the second-most-visited country in the world in 2022, according to ForwardKeys — and with good reason: gorgeous scenery, fascinating history, incredible food, friendly people and sunny beaches, to name just a few of the country’s many attractions.

Looking for a taste of Turkey without committing to a full vacation there? Take advantage of Turkish Airlines’ Stopover in Istanbul program, which gives economy customers the chance to do a free one-day stopover in the port city and stay in a four-star hotel — and offers business customers two free nights in a five-star hotel. There’s so much to see and do in 48 hours in Istanbul that you’ll soon find yourself booking a longer return visit to the “City on the Seven Hills.”

Visit two continents in a single day

Istanbul straddles two continents, with the narrow Bosphorus Strait serving as the dividing line between the European side and the Asian side. It’s easy to have breakfast in Europe before zipping over one of the bridges to eat lunch in Asia, then enjoying a leisurely boat trip back to Europe for dinner. This melding of cultures and continents is evident in the city skyline dotted with mosques, churches and synagogues, along with modern office towers.

Admire stunning water views from almost everywhere

Located on a triangular peninsula where the Black Sea, Bosphorus Strait and Marmara Sea intersect, Istanbul has unparalleled water views no matter which direction you look. And the higher you go, the more breathtaking the views become. Experience some of the city’s most stunning vistas — along with stellar cocktails, steaks, seafood and sushi — at Izaka Terrace, high up in the CVK Park Bosphorus Hotel.

Get immersed in history

As Turkey’s largest city (and the 13th-most-populated city in the world), Istanbul is home to over 15.6 million people and is central to the country’s culture, economy and history — and what a long history it is. Over the past 2,500 years, the city has played key roles in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) and Ottoman empires. Along the way, its name has changed from Byzantium to New Rome and then Constantinople before officially becoming Istanbul in 1930.

Sultanahmet Square is where chariot races in the Hippodrome of Constantinople used to take place. The Basilica Cistern consists of hundreds of ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city. Topkapi Palace was the heart of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years. Those are just three of the city’s many must-see historical sites. And 48 hours in Istanbul wouldn’t be complete without visiting the Galata Mevlevi House Museum to watch whirling dervishes in action; founded in the 1200s, the Mevlevi Order consists of Sufis (Muslim mystics) who spin around as part of their religious ceremony. Watching the ritual is truly hypnotic.

Climb up Galata Tower

When the current Galata Tower was built in 1349 (the original tower having been destroyed during the Crusades), it was the tallest building in the city.

This medieval tower is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul, offering spectacular 360-degree views from the observation deck and balcony, nine storeys up.

See mosques

Turkey is a secular country, but official numbers from the government indicate that 99% of the population identifies as Muslim. No surprise, then, that Istanbul boasts more than 3,000 mosques, ranging from simple structures to elaborate, awe-inspiring buildings. The beautifully designed (and repeatedly rebuilt) Hagia Sophia has been a Greek Orthodox church, a museum and a mosque over the course of its 1,600-year history. Its impressive architecture shows the influences of both the Eastern Roman and Ottoman empires. Also not to be missed is the Ottoman-era Sultanahmet Camii, commonly called the Blue Mosque, with its gorgeous blue tiles adorning the interior walls.

People-watch in Taksim Square

Surrounded by shops, restaurants and several grand hotels, Taksim Square forms the heart of modern Istanbul. Everyone who spends 48 hours in Istanbul passes through this busy spot at some point.

It’s where Istanbul Metro’s central station is located, and a tram runs from the square along the shopping street of İstiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue). Atatürk Cultural Center and Taksim Mosque both border the square.

Explore Atatürk Cultural Center

Istanbul is increasingly becoming known as a destination for arts and culture. Any visitor interested in the arts has to spend a few hours wandering through Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM). It reopened in 2021 after a reconstruction that stretched on for 13 years — and the wait was worth it. This stunning arts complex is now home to a theatre, cinema, museum, art gallery, library, music-recording studio, children’s art centre, exhibition centre and concert halls. Try to squeeze in attending an evening concert, opera or ballet performance at AKM during 48 hours in Istanbul.

The library inside AKM features a collection of over 20,000 books that focus on music, arts, architecture and design. Most of the books are in English. This welcoming and inspiring space invites book lovers to settle in and stay awhile.

Soak up arts and culture

In addition to AKM, countless other arts venues throughout the city are worth checking out, including The Museum of Innocence, which is based on a novel of the same name by Orhan Pamuk. The MSGSU Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture is housed in a former industrial building in Galataport. It features spaces that jut out and, from the outside, resemble shipping containers; return in the evening to admire the dramatic uplighting that bathes the building in red. The Istanbul Museum of Modern Art is in the process of moving to a new building at the museum’s original location in Karaköy.

Visit Galataport

It may seem odd to suggest visiting a cruise-ship terminal, but the revitalized Galataport is brimming with things to see and do in a waterfront setting. In addition to countless stores and restaurants — a mix of international chains and Turkish brands — the area features a boardwalk, mosque, art museums, heritage buildings and a public square for events such as outdoor concerts. Liman is the perfect elevated spot to watch cruise ships glide in and out while you feast on traditional Turkish cuisine with contemporary touches.

Customs and immigration facilities, along with space for 70 buses, are all tucked away below ground, making Galataport the first underground passenger-cruise terminal in the world. The port can handle three cruise ships, carrying as many as 15,000 passengers, each day. For its sustainable features such as seawater hydrothermal cooling, Galataport was awarded LEED Platinum certification.

Meet countless cats

Istanbul is one of the most feline-friendly cities in the world, home to approximately 75,000 housecats and another 125,000 feral cats. The strays are treated as communal pets by city residents and regularly provided with food, water and tiny houses. Many of these stray cats (and dogs) have been vaccinated and spayed or neutered by state vets. Fortunately, 48 hours in Istanbul is more than long enough to meet a whole menagerie of cute kitties while wandering around the parks and streets. Turkey’s most famous stray has to be Tombili, the portly, chilled-out feline who launched a thousand memes and was eventually honoured with a bronze statue.

Shop at colourful bazaars

Of course no one can spend 48 hours in Istanbul without wandering through the labyrinthine Grand Bazaar, browsing for gold jewellery, hand-woven carpets, Turkish lamps, leather goods, fezzes, antiques, hand-painted dishes and more. “Would you like to buy something you don’t need?” is a surprisingly honest refrain from the sellers, who accept pretty much any currency on the planet and seem disappointed if buyers don’t haggle over prices. With more than 4,000 shops and 500 stalls, the Grand Bazaar is large enough to have its own fire department and police station (though finding a toilet can be challenging). It’s one of the world’s oldest covered markets, dating back more than 550 years.

Popular, too, is the smaller Spice Bazaar, also known as the Spice Market or the Egyptian Bazaar. Built in the 1600s, it sells edible souvenirs such as brilliantly hued spices, dried fruit, herbs, tea leaves, nuts and honey.

Eat, drink and be merry

A true delight for foodies, Istanbul boasts every type of world cuisine you can imagine. Must-try Turkish dishes include döner kebap, a kebab featuring meat thinly sliced from a vertical rotisserie; köfte, a seasoned meatball; simit, a twisted bread covered in sesame seeds; pide, a flatbread topped with meat or vegetables; and assorted appetizers known collectively as meze.

For dessert, baklava is always a good choice, with its layers of filo pastry, honey and chopped nuts. Almost every restaurant, cafe and bakery sells its own version of this extremely sweet delicacy. Another treat found everywhere is lokum (Turkish delight), a delightfully squishy confection made from starch and sugar. Lokum comes in dozens of flavours, ranging from rose and pomegranate to lemon and hazelnut.

Be sure to try tavukgöğsü, a thick milk-pudding dessert made with boiled and shredded chicken breast. Similarly tasty is kazandibi, made from the overcooked bits of tavukgöğsü that stick to the pan and caramelize while cooking (reminiscent of crème brûlée). Trust us, both desserts taste better than they sound.

No meal in Istanbul is complete without a hot caffeinated beverage, either Turkish coffee — thick, rich and unfiltered — or Turkish tea. The tea is brewed in a special two-part stacked teapot. The top is for infusing the tea leaves, making a very strong brew. The bottom is for boiling the water, which can then be added to each cup of tea in greater or lesser amounts, adjusting the strength to suit individual preferences. The beverage is always served in a clear tulip-shaped tea glass without a handle.

Visit again

There’s clearly too much to see and do in 48 hours in Istanbul, which makes a second trip to Turkey a necessity. Any return visit should also incorporate a few days in the capital city of Ankara to see sights such as Anıtkabir. This grand monument includes the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk — who led the Turkish War of Independence and was the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey — as well as a courtyard, a museum and the tomb of Turkey’s second president, İsmet İnönü.

Another spot not to be missed in Ankara is the CSO Ada Ankara, home of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, one of the world’s oldest orchestras. This futuristic-looking symphonic concert hall is an architectural wonder, both outside and in.

Other reasons to return to Turkey include riding in a hot-air balloon above Cappadocia, hiking the Lycian Way, visiting a hammam (Turkish bath), seeing the sun rise over Mt. Nemrut, sunbathing on Mediterranean beaches along the country’s south coast, and touring ancient sites such as Göbeklitepe, Hattuşa, Troy and Ephesus.

Know before you go

Turkey is now officially known as Türkiye, though both versions of the name are widely used. Canadians require a visa to enter the country, which can be obtained online ahead of time. Check the Government of Canada’s website for useful travel advice. English is widely spoken and understood in the major cities.

Although most Turkish people identify as Muslim, alcohol is readily available. Some Canadians may be surprised by how widespread smoking is, especially on restaurant patios and inside hotel rooms. If the smell of stale cigarette smoke bothers you, be sure to request a non-smoking room.

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Canadians may feel unnerved by how common security screenings are. Get accustomed to having your bag and jacket run through a screening machine every time you enter an art gallery or hotel lobby.

Visitors of any religion are welcome to tour mosques such as the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, but check for signage indicating expected behaviour and clothing requirements. Shorts, miniskirts and bare shoulders aren’t allowed, and footwear must be removed before entering.

Take note of the dates of Ramadan before booking a trip to Turkey, as this holy month of fasting affects everything from standard business hours to transportation availability. Ramadan occurs from March 22 to April 21 in 2023, with the celebratory Eid al-Fitr taking place on April 22 and 23. The dates for Ramadan change every year, based on the lunar cycle of the Islamic calendar.

Getting to Istanbul

The most luxurious way to get to Istanbul is to fly business class with Turkish Airlines and indulge in the onboard experience of lie-flat seats, adjustable privacy screens, HD video displays, multiple entertainment options and mouth-watering meals, snacks and drinks. Turkish Airlines offers direct flights to Istanbul Airport from Vancouver (12 hours), Toronto (10 hours) and Montreal (10 hours). Each business-class passenger receives preferential check-in, an extra baggage allowance and a luxurious amenity kit. Plus, the spacious Turkish Airlines Lounge Business at Istanbul Airport features comfy couches, international cuisine, Wi-Fi, console games, a children’s play area and private suites with showers.

Disclosure: The author of this piece was hosted by the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Turkish Airlines.