The fading Star of David on a shop-front façade was an indication that our Istanbul walking tour had entered an area of Jewish interest. And sure enough, we soon alighted upon a building opposite which, on closer inspection, was revealed as one of the remaining operational synagogues, the Ahrida, which our guide explained, took its name from the Macedonian town from which its founding members migrated.
As visiting Istanbul synagogues is by appointment only, we could not venture inside, a shame as the Balat area shul is the oldest in the city, dating back to the 1400s, and was the subject of a lavish restoration around a quarter of a century ago.
The remaining synagogues dotted around the teeming metropolis are a reminder that Istanbul was once a vibrant Jewish centre - our guide revealed that the Jewish community numbered 100,000 in the early 1900s. But a decline hastened by measures such as a 1942 wealth tax have left no more than around 20,000 among a 14 million population. Yet as in so many places, the legacy of Jews in fields such as politics and medicine has been immense and these are highlighted during our leisurely tour of the locality. It had begun at the imposing Greek Orthodox cathedral in the nearby Fener district, where the devoted worshippers were evidence of the small-scale survival of another religious community - a 1955 pogrom had led to mass emigration.
By the time the tour ended at a mosque in full prayer mode, we were close to halfway through our 48 hours in the city, which is nowhere near enough to do it justice.
Most tourists will want to explore famous sites on the Asian side, for example, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. I'm embarrassed to say we didn't get to the former, but did rush through a small section of the latter, a dizzying maze of shops offering similar carpets, jewellery, spices and teas at pretty samey non-bargain prices. Haggling is supposed to work, but on the evidence of our group, not necessarily.
Getting there
Cox & Kings (020 7873 5000/www.coxandkings.co.uk) offers a three-night stay at Raffles Istanbul from £695 per person including British Airways flights from Heathrow, transfers and accommodation with breakfast.
Context Travel (Contexttravel.com) organises walking tours of Istanbul, including one exclusively covering Jewish sites.
With the innocence of tourists, we had taken a cab to the Grand Bazaar after the conclusion of our walking tour. Big mistake. Any hour can be rush hour in Istanbul. Wherever possible, stick to the Metro or the trams, which have their own lanes. The innumerable yellow taxis outside the airport building might make arriving visitors momentarily believe they are in Manhattan. Alas, Turkish traffic flow does not even reach New York speed and much of the parking exceeds the level of chutzpah encountered in Golders Green shopping areas. At least the journey from the airport had afforded the opportunity to view some admirably maintained greenery and the Turks' love of a floral display - oh and to observe street vendors wandering among the static traffic peddling all manner of weird and not so wonderful wares. But I wouldn't fancy cab travel in the oppressive summer temperatures (the locals advise May/early June and the autumn period as the ideal visiting times).
Having sampled the traditional Istanbul, we wanted a glimpse of the modern, European side. Naturally there are the areas of upscale outlets and familiar names - Jamie's Italian anyone? Far more appealingly, a trip skirting beach areas along the Bosphorus took us to Karakoy - once seedy but now trendy - and Galata. Here we found a nice mix of small shops and stalls retailing way more distinctive goods than you'll find in the Grand Bazaar. Plus restaurants filled with locals in relaxed conversation over belated breakfast or early lunch.
Time constraints allowed only a whistle-stop tour of the nearby Istanbul Museum of Modern Art. We took the guided option but it's really unnecessary as most of the explanation panels include English translations. With its buzzy adjoining restaurant and river views, the vibe is akin to London's South Bank, albeit with more enticing food aromas. It's the sort of place you would happily spend a day in. But we had a flight to catch. And for once the airport traffic wasn't that bad.
