Required viewing

There is an art to traveling for pleasure.  You want to visit the "must-see" sights of a city, while still having the leisure of enjoying the local scene.  Tour guides all have their list of "top things to see in Istanbul," but (in addition to the Basilica Cistern and Topkopi Palace mentioned below) here are a few things we put on our to-do list:

* Aya Sofya (or Hagia Sofia, the Church of Holy Wisdom)

Dedicated in the year 360, the Aya Sofya was a church (and one of the world's largest) for over a thousand years until Sultan Mehmed II converted it into a mosque for the next  half century.  It is one of the jewels of Byzantine architecture and owns its Christian/Muslim history with a mix of Christian mosaics, Islamic concealment of faces and other representational imagery, a mihrab pointing toward Mecca in the apse where the alter used to stand, and grandeur all around.
If you're lucky, you might see a cat wandering about.

* Galata Tower

Included because it has fantastic 360 views of the city and the Bospherous and because it was a stone's throw from our apartment.  This 9-story stone tower was built in the 14th century and still dominates the skyline of its eponymous district.  It also boasts a restaurant and nightclub (with slightly eery neon lighting).

* Istanbul Archeology Museum
As our friend Daphne noted, archeology museums are largely displays of a country's plundering history.  Turkey's imperial museum exhibits pieces from the Balkans to Africa, Anatolia and Mesopotamia to the Arab Peninsula and Afghanistan.  Basically the reaches of the Ottoman Empire.  The museum building is inspired by its centerpiece, the Alexander Sarcophagus, a remarkably well preserved piece dating to the 4th century BC.  Sorry, no pictures permitted.

* Grand Bazaar and Spice Market

If you have a shopping itch, there are over 5,000 shopkeepers in the Grand Bazaar who would be happy to help you.  The labyrinthe of 60 streets in this enormous covered market can be a little bit overwhelming, so take a map.  There's also a great deal of repetition among the scarves, linens, soaps, trinkets, jewelry, purses, jackets and lighting.  We all got a little somethin' somethin', but Ed scored the biggest purchase with a beautiful etched copper table.  (Oh yes, super easy to ship....)
Just down the hill is the Spice Market which is a little more local and focuses on spices, nuts, dried fruits, seeds and Turkish Delight.  Worth it just to see the colors and enjoy the rich smell of the spices.

* Rahmi M. Koç Museum

Apparently, Turkish billionaires like to establish their own museums.  Rahmi Koç of the Koç dynasty is one of those fellows and, inspired by a visit to the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, opened a museum to showcase his lifelong collection of mechanical things.  It is a tribute to transport, industry and communications that includes everything from an artifact history of personal computers to a real military submarine that can be toured.  A pretty cool way to show off your toy collection if you have a few million bucks lying around.

* Tea in Gülhane Park

This was an unexpected delight after we got lost looking for the entrance to the Topkapi Palace.  At the far end of the park, overlooking the Bospherous, is an outdoor tea house where you can sit, enjoy the breeze and sip traditional Turkish tea.  When we were there, it was surprisingly local - a couple policemen, a scattering of Turkish friends and couples.  Very lovely and relaxing.

* Riding the ferries on the Bospherous
Istanbul is all about the Bospherous.  It's what gives this intensely urban place its elegance.  You can cruise a little or a lot, by public ferry or private cruise ship, slow ferry or speedy catamaran.  It is a great way to pull back from the immediacy of this city and see the bigger picture.  And it can be so relaxing that some people just fall asleep....

Ok, that's all we're going to devote to the tourist sights.  Coming up next, local color.  After our nap.