The 6th-century church of Hagia Sophia that dominates the Istanbul skyline is one of the best known and most visited sites of the historic peninsula.
Topkapi is the palace over looking the Bosphorus where the sultas made their homes and supervised government during the glory days of the Ottoman Empire.
Amid Istanbul's many surprises, few places can be more unexpectedly romantic than the wonderful Yerebatan Cistern, which lurks underground just across the tram lines from Hagia Sophia.
