Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

Sultans once rested in this elevated pavilion attached to the New Mosque, and now its gorgeous tile-encrusted interior is open to the rest of us for two weeks every month. Palace Collections Museum Housed in the recently restored Matbah-ı Amire (former kitchens) of Dolmabahçe Palace, this museum showcases costumes, furniture, porcelain, textiles and many other objects from the palace collection. Babylon Bomonti The city’s best-loved live-music venue has moved to new digs in a converted beer factory in the arty enclave of Bomonti), north of Taksim Meydani (Taksim Square). Tophane Design Precinct The Depo cultural centre and Hiç design store led the way, and now the streets north of the Tophane tram stop have become a magnet for designer boutiques. Yeldeğirmeni Street art, cultural venues, boutiques and cafes are sprouting in this once dishevelled quarter near Haydarpaşa, reinforcing Kadıköy’s claim to the title of İstanbul’s hippest neighbourhood.

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