ISTANBUL
n the romantic weekend stakes, Turkey’s former capital tends to lose out to Paris, Amsterdam, Rome and the rest, but this atmospheric city is unmissable: European and Asian, built either side of the broad Bosphorus strait. Centuries before Christ, it was Greek, later Roman, and ultimately Islamic. No wonder it’s such a thrill-trip. Sultanahmet – the postcard district of mosques and sunsets – is ideal for first-timers. Splurge on the luxury Four Season Hotel Sultanahmet (fourseasons. com; doubles from £255), folded around a peaceful garden. Its open-air bar has so-close-you-can-touch-it views of the mighty 6th-century Hagia Sophia, anciently a church, today a mosque. Put it top of your
