2013 in Turkey

Zeynep Fadillioglu—the first woman in Turkey to design a mosque—is behind a new 270-room hotel in Istanbul’s cultural and commercial heart. An Ottoman tent canopies the Atrium lounge, and limited-edition sketches of Istanbul by the Turkish painter...

It was truly incredible to look out through our hot air balloon as we hung suspended, watching the sunrise over the unique and magnificent Kapadokyan landscape. We took Kapadokya balloon Company--well worth the money for a once in a lifetime...

Get on the Turyol ferry across the Bosphorus for a budget friendly no frills tour offering excellent views of Istanbul. Departing every hour from Eminonu between 10am and 7pm, this simple 1.5 hour round trip cruises along the Asian and European...

Great little shop close to the green mosque - try the pickled drink. Went here with Istanbul Eats tour highly recommend the food tour. Some great finds, especially if you love sheep's head .

Soon after conquering Constantinople and defeating the Byzantines in 1453, Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II commissioned the beginnings of the Grand Bazaar to reinvigorate trade with the city. More than 550 years later, the bazaar is one of the oldest...

The Whirling Dervish Lodge in Bursa puts on a nightly spiritual performance that gets you back to the basics of why the whirling dervishes exist. This is no 'show' for tourists, this is a spiritual event and service. I felt lucky that they allowed...

Perched on a hill in a quiet Beyoglu side street, Tomtom Suites offers glorious views of the Istanbul waterfront and Old City across the Golden Horn. (Ask for a front room on the third or fourth floor.) We couldn't help but linger at our...