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Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul – three names for the one great city that straddles the Bosphorus, with one foot in Asia and the other in Europe. The Turkish capital until it shifted to Ankara in 1923, Istanbul is still far and away the country’s most exciting, beautiful, and historically interesting town.
Because it claims three ancient empires, two continents, and a mesmerizing cultural identity on display in its many markets and cafés.
$38/nt+: Budget Istanbul hotel w/ free brkfst nr Blue Mosque Artefes Hotel
$112/nt+: Family-friendly Istanbul hotel w/free brkfst Sarnic Boutique Hotel
$133/nt+: 4-star Istanbul hotel w/poolside bar nr Pera Museum The Marmara Pera
$149/nt+: 4-star Istanbul hotel nr Blue Mosque w/free brkfst Erguvan
$138/nt+: 5-star hotel in Istanbul nr Constantinople Walls Barcelo Eresin Topkapi
$179/nt+: 5-star Swissotel The Bosphorus Istanbul Expedia
