My personal favorite aspect of this book are the detailed pictoral discriptions of some of the great landmarks of the City: Hagia Sophia, St. Saviour in Chora, the Blue Mosque, Suleymanie Camii, Topkapi Palace to some of the more "off the beaten path" locations, such as the Church of Pammakaristos, the Basilica Cisterns, the Church of Sts. Sergius and Bacchus (Kuckuk Aya Sofya), and the residence of the Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church. Rather than other guides such as Fodors simply writing it all down, Eyewitness literally "shows" you the information, so it's not only a great book to help you navigate the City, it's great to help you navigate the locations!
I carried this book with my at all times when I was in Turkey. I cannot recommend this book more than Amazon allows, but I'd give this book 10 stars if I could. It is the absolute best travel guide on the market today! I hope it will also serve you as well as it did for me!
I accidentally left the book behind after I put it down to pay for some things in a photo shop and didn't realize it was missing until a few hours later (I was with my own personal "tour guide," after all ;-)...my Turkish friend made his way back to the shop just to retrieve it for me (and thankfully the shop owner had kept it safe in hopes of the owner returning for it...and even he had looked through it and commented how good it looked)!
Going to Istanbul? GET THIS BOOK!
Capturing the vivid atmosphere of its unique subject, DK's Eyewitness Travel Guide: Istanbul explores the exotic port of call that sits between European and Asian Turkey. With more than 700 full-color photographs, street-by-street maps, and 3-D aerial views-this handbook is the most visual reference to Istanbul imaginable. See art and artifacts from Topkapi Palace and the various collections of the city's Archaeological Museum. Special features highlight the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar. The guide also recommends side trips to the Bosphorus, the straits separating Europe from Asia that link the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. Istanbul's phenomenal history, blend of cultures, people, landscape, landmarks, and cuisine are fully captured in numerous features throughout this educational and entertaining travel companion.