Balkanology  ::  Explore Southeast Europe

Time Out Istanbul  (4th edition published October 2010)

A well-organised city guide with good coverage of sightseeing as well as restaurants and entertainment.

Companion Guide to Istanbul and around the Marmara  (1st edition published 2000) - John Freely

The author has lived in, and written about, Istanbul for many years and seems to know the history behind every stone. If you are interested in history and architecture, and have time to explore the city in depth, this book will make your wanderings all the more enjoyable. It is not intended as a practical guide, so if you want maps and accommodation listings you will need to supplement it with another guide such as Time Out.

The Rough Guide to Istanbul  (1st edition published July 2009) - Virginia Maxwell

Turkey - Lonely Planet Country Guide  (11th edition published April 2009) - James Bainbridge

The Rough Guide to Turkey  (7th edition published June 2010) - Marc Dubin and Terry Richardson

Istanbul: Memories of a City - Orhan Pamuk

"As in my childhood, we still see [the Bosphorus] as the font of our good health, the cure of our ills, the infinite source of goodness and goodwill that sustains the city and all those who dwell in it. 'Life can't be all that bad,' I'd think from time to time. 'Whatever happens, I can always take a walk along the Bosphorus'."

Pamuk is one of Turkey's most successful novelists. In this memoir of his early life he describes his early years and his relationship with his city. Memories of the pangs of first love and early attempts to be taken seriously as an artist are interweaved with reflections on the hüzün, or melancholy, that pervades the city. Recommended reading for anyone with an interest in Istanbul. (Incidentally, I don't know why the subtitle is Memories of the City in Europe but Memories and the City in the USA).