During the journey you pass the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace , farther along rise the green parks and imperial pavilions of the Yildiz Palace . On the coastal edge of the parks stands the Ciragan Palace , refurbished in 1847 by Sultan Abdulaziz and now restored as a Grand Hotel (Kempinski) for 300 meters along the bosphorus shore its ornate marble fecades reflect the swiftly moving water. At Ortakoy , the next stop, artists gather every Sunday to exhibit their works in streetside gallery. The variety of people create lively scene. Sample o otasty morsel from one of the street vendors. In Ortakoy, the is a church, a mosque and a synagogue that have existed side by side for hundreds of years - a tribute to Turkish tolerance at the grass roots level. Overshadowing Istanbul´s traditional architecture are of the worlds largest suspension bridges, the Bosphorus Bridges, linking Europe and Asia.

    From Duatepe Hill, ont the European side, you can admire the magnificent panorama of the bridges and the Bosphorus. Below duatepe, the beautiful Emirgan Park bursts with color when it tulips bloom in the spring . At Tarabya Bay, yachts seem to dance at their moorings. The coastal road bustles with taverns and fish restaurants from tarabya the charming suburbs of Sariyer and Buyukdere. Sariyer has one of the largest fish markets in the Istanbul and its also famous for delicious varieties of milk puddings and borek (pastries). On pastr, the narrow strait widens and opens into the Black Sea.