Gatwick to Istanbul: New flights launched to 'incredible' city

I had assumed it was further away than it actually is (just a 3.5-hour flight) so thought it a bit far for a short break.

Now, having been, I’m kicking myself I didn’t go sooner.

You hear the term “melting pot” thrown around a lot when Istanbul is mentioned but nothing can really prepare you for how accurate that is.

We stayed in Pera and, with a view of the Bosphorus, the old town and the Golden Horn, a vast estuary splitting the Asian and European sides of the city, it really felt like a confluence of worlds and moments in time.

The view from the Galata Tower (Image: The Argus)

The narrow, cobbled streets lined with traditional restaurants and stalls felt ancient, while the glittering lights of the Anatolian side across the Bosphorus were futuristic, especially with the Camlica TV tower dwarfing all other buildings at a whopping 369 metres tall.

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After a seamless transfer from Istanbul Airport to Pera we visited the Galata Tower. At just 63 metres high you might not expect the views to be spectacular.

But as it is nestled on the top of a hill the tower provided amazing panoramic views of the city. Even with grey clouds, Istanbul looked beautiful.

The cuisine was consistently delicious, varied and interesting.

As a vegetarian I was slightly worried about the food and the group we travelled with did eat a fair amount of meat but there were plenty of options and meat-free alternatives.

A starter at Divan Brasserie Fuaye Restaurant at AKM (Image: The Argus)

When others ate a lamb stew – which was, by all accounts, delicious – I had a grilled aubergine dish which was great. It had a distinctly smoky flavour, which managed to be strong and yet not overpowering the other milder spices.

It’s fairly standard practice in Turkey to have multiple courses, starting with a cold starter, then a hot starter, a main and a dessert. Don’t make the same mistake I did and fill up on the hummus and bread starters, delicious though they are.

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I’m not really a fan of regular coffee so I didn’t dare brave a cup of Turkey’s strong stuff.

Their tea, however, is light and refreshing and I enjoyed several glasses (yes, it is served in glasses) during my short stay.

The interior of the Hagia Sofia (Image: The Argus)

The trip was hosted by Go Turkiye, Turkey's tourism board, so we visited a range of cultural attractions. 

Perhaps the most magnificent thing we saw was the Hagia Sophia, a vast mosque in the old town of Istanbul.

The scale of it was truly breathtaking and added to the sense of being in a city steeped with such a rich and varied history.

First built as a church in the year 360AD, in was converted into a mosque in 1453 after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire.

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Soft orange lighting, reminiscent of chandeliers with candles, lit the mosque and added a remarkable feeling of intimacy to the enormous open space.

The Basilica Cistern (Image: The Argus)

Just round the corner is the Basilica Cistern, an ancient cistern which used to provide water to the city.

Some 330 columns support the ceiling and you walk on a raised walkway above the water.

It was lit beautifully from below and felt cinematic - you might recognise it from films like Inferno, based on Dan Brown’s novel of the same name, and Argo.

But my favourite place was the new Atatürk Cultural Center, commonly called the AKM.

Reopened in 2021 after 13 years of construction, you could spend days in this concert hall, theatre and cultural centre.

The exterior of the concert hall at AKM (Image: The Argus)

Set inside a vast sphere, decorated with thousands of red tiles individually made my different women, the concert hall hosts concerts with tickets on sale for as little as £2.

AKM is also home to a stunning library, with a mezzanine floor and thousands of books focusing on music, architecture and design.

It is open to the public and has plenty of cosy nooks and crannies to read in. No detail is spared – it even has a specially made scent which is warm and comforting.

Baklava at Köşkeroğlu Baklava Tophane (Image: The Argus)

Of course, you can’t visit Turkey without sampling some of the sweets. We tried baklava from Köşkeroğlu Baklava Tophane, which had every flavour and type of pastry imaginable.

I normally find baklava a bit too sickly but the authentic version with crispy pastry and packed full of pistachios is delicious.

The topography of the city is a site to behold and every area we visited offered a different perspective on its staggering 2,000 square miles.

The library at AKM (Image: The Argus)

It truly is so vast as to be almost incomprehensible, especially when compared with Brighton’s 32 square miles or even London’s 607.

Even with a jam-packed itinerary, we only scratched the surface of what this incredible city has to offer.

• We stayed: The Marmara Hotel, Pera. Prices from £77 per night
• We flew: From Luton to Istanbul on Wizz Air’s first flights. It has just launched new routes from Gatwick and Luton to Istanbul. These flights take place daily, with one-way fares starting from £30.99
• We ate: Güney Restaurant, Muuto Restaurant, Divan Brasserie Restaurant at AKM, prices vary