Exploring heritage-rich cities like Cusco in Peru or Istanbul in Turkey with kids can be magical when planned with balance and curiosity. From ancient ruins to bustling markets, these destinations ...

“This is how we do breakfast,” Oznur, my guide, explains proudly. We’re starting our first day in Istanbul where any exploration of the city should begin: at the table. This is a city that knows how ...

We decided to scale the parapets of one of the towers added a bit later by Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in the 15th century. That’s right. My teenage daughter and I took to the steep, centuries-old ...

Hagia Sophia has to be one of the most interesting museums in Istanbul for the sheer fact that it was first a church, then a mosque and now a museum. It is a city like none other, divided by the ...

The cafe was like so many we’d seen in Istanbul. The chairs and tables were basic and slightly rusted. The tea hot and strong. The clean-shaven, neatly dressed owner joined the old men at the next ...

You're reading AL-Monitor City Pulse — Istanbul, a weekly exploration of Istanbul’s vibrant arts and culture scene with insights on key social happenings and recommendations off the beaten path. To ...