It is late summer afternoon in Istanbul and a perfect view of the city extends from the circular open belvedere of the Galata Tower, the most famous 60-meter-high icon of the Golden Horn – to the gardens of the Topkapi Palace, towers of the minarets of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia on the south, the end of the Golden Horn on the west, the Bosphorus Strait and the Asian mainland on the east, and the Taksim neighbourhood on the north – the stunning 360˚ panorama of the vast 17-million city.

We have decided to discover Istanbul away from the beaten paths; the neighbourhoods where only a few tourists go and the peculiarities of the city that can only be enjoyed by those who are well prepared and have specific interests. Despite the outstanding beauty of mosques and palaces and interesting museums and bazaars, this multi-million city has so many unknown attractive sights, views and experiences which may reveal the ancient city and the daily life of its inhabitants to the visitor who has already admired the famous sights.