From our journals: We spent the first days recovering from jet lag and exploring the variety of sights in Istanbul. We try to stay in the Sultanahmet area since it's in easy walking distance of many major attractions, including the Grand Bazaar. The Hagia Sophia is a short walk towards the Golden Horn. Nearby is the sprawling complex of the Topkapi palace which takes a day in itself, hosting everything from the sultan's harem, Mohammed's sword, jeweled clothing of the sultans, to the famous Topkapi jewels and the kitchens that fed thousands of Janissaries. And that doesn't include time for the separate museums on its ground such as the Archaeological Museum and the Museum of Middle Eastern Countries. Splendid imperial mosques include the Blue Mosque, the Suleymanie, and Hagia Sophia. Vivaldi played in the background as we toured the enormous Byzantine underground cisterns. Basilica cisterns.

Sometimes magnificent works of art are preserved by a quirk of fate. An Ottoman pasha had the mosaics of St. Saviour whitewashed, and they were only recovered in the 20th century. These mosaics and frescoes of the Chorae Church form one of the visual highlights of any tour. If you're interested in calligraphy, you'll want to visit the small museum devoted to it near Bayezit.

In addition to the imperial mosques, many exquisite, smaller mosques are scattered thru the city, and display incredible Iznik tiles and other decoration.

Book reviews & recommendations:
Byzantium -- A history of the Eastern Roman Empire - John Julius Norwich