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A cosmopolitan gem nestled at the crossroads of civilizations, İstanbul invites curious travelers to unravel its secrets, from the grandeur of Topkapı Palace to the bohemian streets of Balat.

The waterside neighborhood of Ortaköy is a favorite of locals and tourists looking to spend a lazy afternoon strolling its cobbled streets, playing backgammon over a few glasses of tea, or finding a spot for a picnic with an overloaded kumpir (baked potato). The Bosphorus Bridge, the first in the world to connect Asia and Europe since Hellenic times, is the ultimate photo backdrop, especially behind the Ortaköy Mosque when it’s lit up at night (try to see the newly restored interior during the day, when light streams through the windows and makes the chandeliers and tiles shine). Traffic can be brutal, especially in summer or around Ramadan, but it’s a pleasant 30-minute walk past old palaces turned hotels in Beşiktaş, where many ferries and buses terminate.

A multipurpose contemporary art center that opened in November 2011 in the Ottoman Bank building, Salt has a library with thousands of shelves of art publications—the most important, impressive collection in the city.—Sylvia Kouvali

There are two ways to walk up to the Galata Tower from Karakoy Tram Station: One is to follow the pedestrian traffic and ascend an uninviting steep staircase close to the tram way; the other is to take the more picturesque Kamondo (Camondo) steps on Bankalar Caddesi. Neo-Baroque and early Art Nouveau styles were fused here in the 1870s to create this curvaceous thoroughfare up one of Istanbul’s steepest hills. Abraham Salomon Camondo, of the wealthy Sephardic Jewish Camondo family, funded the construction. He inherited the banking and business success of his forefathers and went on to become the prime banker for the Ottoman Empire in the district of Galata where the stairs are located.

If you’re interested in buying (or browsing) musical instruments in Istanbul, then head to Galip Dede Caddesi in Galata, between Istiklal Street and the Galata Tower. Here you’ll find an enormous range of percussion instruments such as darbukas, davul, frame drums and symbols; stringed instruments including the bağlama and saz; or Middle Eastern wind instruments like the mizmar. Western-style instruments are also available. If you have the time to shop around, it might also pay to visit the shops on Ataturk Caddesi in Unkapani, just down from the aquaducts in Fatih.

Arriving in Eminonu is chaotic. Whether arriving by foot, by boat, or by tram, expect an onslaught of sounds, scents, and movement. People congregate in groups outside Yeni Cami - the New Mosque. The Galata Bridge, Istanbul‘s iconic bridge that connects Sultanahmet to Beyoglu, hosts traffic, famed fish restaurants, pedestrians, and fishermen. The dock just to the west is bustling with floating fish restaurants serving up local fish and delights at plastic tables. If you love chaotic city scenes, this is one of the best in Istanbul.

Turkey, one of the few countries in the world to be self-sustainable in food production, grows more than 600 grape varieties and is an emerging leader in producing good quality wines. It’s no wonder that wine bars specializing in Turkish wines are sprouting up over Istanbul. A wonderful place to sample and buy Turkish wine (şerap, as it’s known in Turkish) is Sensus Wine Bar, tucked away on a cobbled street almost on the doorstep of the Galata Tower. Here you can purchase or sample wines from around the country along with cheeses and olives. I recommend taking some friends and staying a while in the cellar-like atmosphere and ordering a sample plate that comes with wines and delicious meze.

The blocks of Karikoy from the Galata Bridge going east to Istanbul Modern have emerged as one of the hottest areas in the city in recent years. In this transitioning neighborhood, there are still plenty of local barbershops and offices and shops that reflect the port-related economy of the old Karikoy, but emerging among them are boutiques and cafés catering to a new crowd. Karabatak’s name, Turkish for cormorant, reflects the harbor front location of the neighborhood (Karabatak itself is three blocks inland), but this coffee house which opened in 2011 is all about the new Karikoy. It is the Istanbul headquarters of the Austrian coffee roasting company Julius Meinl and you can sit in its comfortable rooms with tiled floors and vintage furniture and choose from a long menu of coffee drinks, as well as sodas, limonatas, and some sandwiches and snacks. On warm evenings, patrons sit under the vine arbor that forms a roof over the pedestrian street, extending to another popular café, Unter, diagonally across the intersection. (Karabatak is on the right side of the street in this photo.)

If you plan to conquer Istanbul in 72 hours or less, then you might like to check out the feasibility of buying the 85TL Museum Pass. The pass gives you queue-jumping privileges and discounts on some museums, attractions, and tours around town for up to 72 hours once the pass is activated at the first museum. Before buying, do check if the locations listed are where you want to go. To give you an idea of potential savings, as of October 2013, the price of a single entry ticket (per person) were: * Chora Museum - 15TL * Hagia Sophia Museum - 25TL * Topkapı Palace Museum - 25TL (Harem is 15TL) * İstanbul Archaeological Museum - 10TL * İstanbul Mosaic Museum - 8TL * Museum of Turkish and İslamic Arts - 10TL (closed until December 2013) * Galata Mevlevi House Museum - 12TL * Yıldız Palace Museum - 8TL * Museum for the History of Science and Technology in Islam - 5TL More details about the Museum Pass can be found on the website below. The photo above is of Chora Church in Edirnekapı, Istanbul.

Come October, the weather cools and fisherman start overflowing local fish markets with freshly caught hamsi (European anchovies) from the Black Sea. Istanbulites (locals) who have been patiently waiting for months to taste this tiny meaty fish venture out in the cold to satisfy their seafood addiction and buy the fish by the kilo. Hamsi is either pan-fried, grilled, or added to other dishes such as rice, and it’s so good it often brings friends together for hamsi dinner parties (or at least that’s what my friends and I do!) If you don’t like anchovies, then you’ve probably never tried European anchovies in Turkey before. Try hamsi in the wintertime at one of the fish restaurants on or near the Galata Bridge. My only suggestion is, when dining at any fish restaurant, make sure you know the price of your meal before confirming your order, and always check the bill after. Fish restaurants are unfortunately notorious for overcharging tourists.

The Ottoman Bank Museum is in the basement of SALT Galata, an arts center located in the former Ottoman Bank. It’s a destination that will appeal mostly to those interested in the history of the Ottoman Empire in its decline at the end of the 19th century. But doesn’t everyone find the late Ottoman period fascinating? The struggles that characterized the era, with a country torn between its Ottoman past and a desire to both modernize and Westernize, played out at the bank. The institution that would become the state bank of the Ottoman Empire was founded in 1856 as a joint venture of British and French banks and the Ottoman government and was managed by a committee of British and French financiers until it was effectively dissolved during World War I. The museum includes many surprisingly engaging displays and documents tracing the bank’s history—its commercial ventures, demographic information on investors and employees, charts detailing the economic turmoil of the period. Architectural plans of the headquarters illustrate its unusual design that featured a neo-classical entrance facing the European quarter and an Ottoman-inspired rear elevation, facing Istanbul’s Old City across the Golden Horn. Deposit slips, photos of employees, and old bank notes in the original vault are on display in almost exhausting, encyclopedic comprehensiveness. If your interest wanes, you don’t need to feel any pressure to linger—entrance is free.

Gentlemen, if your lady appreciates the simple things in life and you both romantically revel in truly unique, off-the-beaten-path experiences, then you should head to Eyüp hill for the panoramic view from Pierre Loti Café. Then, instead of getting the ferry or the bus back to Eminönü, consider hiring a private “kayık” (a modest wooden boat) from a local fisherman. Kayıks are certainly not the luxury gondolas of Venice (nor the price of one), but a cruise on one of these authentic Turkish motorboats will be a memorable experience for adventurous, easygoing couples. Just you, the captain, the cool breeze, and the sound of the tiny wooden boat putt-putting past the sites lining the Golden Horn. The extra challenge is that it’s so authentic, most captains do not speak English. Take a map or paper to show you want to go to “Eminönü.” They will probably try to charge 50TL (ellie lira) or more, but you could try bartering down to 40TL (kirk lira). The five-kilometer cruise will take about 30 minutes and provides plenty of opportunities for photos along the way. You will find the boats moored near the Eyüp port, and if the bartering fails or the size of the boat concerns you, then the ferry to Eminönü leaves every hour from the port nearby. The kayık will dock among the private boats just before Galata Bridge.

Since 1890, Pasticceria Tagliafico has been making delicious, traditional Genovese pastries and cakes (including the candied-fruit studded Pandolce). Located across the street from the main Mercato Orientale, this lovely large pastry shop offers plenty of options for take-away shoppers (wrapped cookies, candies, and fresh-baked croissants (brioche, in Genoa) are some of my favorites).

Visiting a mosque, to me, is always the strongest display of one’s faith. I’m not Muslim, but every time I see the devout take some quiet time and create their own Oasis, I feel compelled to pause and contemplate.

Beyoğlu, the heart of contemporary Istanbul, is the city’s most popular entertainment, art, shopping, and nightlife district. Bisecting the area is the pedestrianized Istiklal Caddesi lined with cafés and shops that attract over three million people per day. Explore the quieter backstreets such as Mesrutiyet Street for gourmet food, photo-worthy French Street, Çukurcuma for antiques, Boğazkesen Street and Istanbul Modern for contemporary art, and Nevizade Street for nightlife.