My Istanbul guidebook (first edition)

After years of writing about Istanbul, I gathered all my accumulated and favorite knowledge about the city in my own guidebook. The 500 Hidden Secrets of Istanbul is a collection of 500 places that each express my endless fascination for a city of stark yet beautiful juxtapositions, which can foster so many opposing emotions, often simultaneously.

The 500 locations are organized into chapters under the themes of food, drink, shopping, architecture, culture and more, with lists of five for each section. My hope is that this book will be a friend to all who want to see Istanbul from an entirely different perspective; exploring quieter backstreets, meeting hopeful and entrepreneurial young people, basking in nostalgia through architecture, and (of course) indulging in the cuisines that define this city of chaos and love.

*This edition is out of print as the second edition of my guidebook–with a new cover, essential updates and plenty of new venues–has been published.