Istanbul for The Slow Weekenders: a Friday-to-Monday weekend
Two continents, one ferry, and a tea glass in every hand.
The weekend as rest. A hotel worth staying in, a hammam or a thermal bath, one unhurried sight each day, lunches that run into the afternoon, and early nights.
Friday: A hamam first
- Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı
A restored Sinan bathhouse by the Tophane quay; book the full scrub and massage, then rest under the dome with tea; check which sessions are for women and which for men.
- Lokanta Maya
A short, seasonal Aegean menu in a quiet room; one starter and one main each is plenty, and the wine list is local.
Saturday: One church, one long lunch
- Hagia Sophia
The one sight of the day: take the ramp and the gallery slowly, and sit on the benches for the mosaics, since nobody is racing you.
- Giritli
A Cretan-Ottoman house with a garden courtyard; order the lamb and a long lunch, and stay as long as the staff allow.
- Gülhane Park
A flat park behind the palace walls, with tea at the Set Üstü café overlooking the Bosphorus; stroll back before an early dinner.
Sunday: Gardens and the Bosphorus
- Emirgan Park
A hillside park with three pavilions, ponds and old plane trees, a favourite for Sunday strolls; pick a bench with a view and take tea.
- Sakıp Sabancı Museum
A Bosphorus mansion with calligraphy and Ottoman paintings, and a new wing for travelling shows; you can see it in an hour and a half.
- Mangerie Bebek
A relaxed brunch-and-lunch café a short taxi south along the water; the menu is Mediterranean and unhurried, and the garden is the better table.
Monday: Slow farewell
- Caferağa Medresesi
Take a pot of tea in the arcaded courtyard of the old medrese; the cats are in charge and the pace is theirs.
- Basilica Cistern
Lights low, the columns reflected in the water; in the late morning it is calm, and the boardwalk is flat.
- Hamdi Restaurant
Order the lamb kebab and the baklava for a view over the Golden Horn; the airport transfers are an easy taxi ride away.