"The setting is superb, like Rome, Istanbul is built on seven hills, and as with the eternal city, the simultaneity of past and present thrives here. At the confluence of Islam and Christianity, Istanbul groans under the weight of its own history. More impressive than any veneer of twenty-first century excess are the ones far removed. Those ancient layers form the very fabric of this city of over 20 million inhabitants."

© Gary Buchanan, Turkish Delight, World of Cruising, Autumn 2007