In Taksim, the main centre of the new city, is The Marmara Taksim, a deluxe five-star hotel for both business and leisure traveller.

The property is at the centre of the business, shopping, theatre and entertainment districts in the heart of Istanbul, Taksim Square. It has 376 rooms including 82 club rooms, decorated in classic contemporary style with art nouveau accents, and suites.

The hotel also has The Marmara Spa and The Marmara Gym which offer a broad range of facilities.

At the street level there are two cafes, including a Starbucks, offering a great spot to watch the world go by in this busy square.

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet has been created from a century-old neo-classic Turkish prison. Its interiors and decoration pay homage to the city’s rich Ottoman heritage and it is located a short walk from most of the main sights.

With only 65 guest rooms and suites set around a tranquil sunny courtyard, this quaint, hotel offers a comfortable and warm atmosphere.

All the rooms feature the latest technology and the Presidential Suites have terraces leading from the living room and bedroom with views of Istanbul.

The property is undergoing soft refurbishment, as well as adding on an additional wing.

Four Seasons Istanbul at the Bosphorus combines a 19th century Ottoman palace with contemporary design and elegance, the hotel has a panoramic view of the busy waterway and the green hills on the Asian shores from its 190-m waterfront terrace. It is also within walking distance of many designer stores and advant-garde galleries.

Four Seasons Instanbul at the Bosphorus has 170 guest rooms and suites occupying the original palace building and two new wings.

In addition, a 2,100-sq-m spa has three hammams, nine treatment rooms and a VIP spa suite.

Dr Kotil’s comments came during a roundtable discussion with journalists in Istanbul, where he also outlined the airline’s expansion plans and confirmed that talks were under way for the purchase of Polish airline LOT and Serbia’s JAT.

Turkish Airlines made a net profit of TRY559 million ($369 million) in 2009, down 51 per cent over the previous year’s profit of THY1.134 billion. However, Dr Kotil said that the airline was able to stay in profit despite the global downturn because it was able to offer a five-star service but at cheaper rates compared to low-cost Western or five-star Eastern competitors.

He added that Turkish Airlines’ strategic location in Istanbul – which lies halfway between the East and the West – offered a distinct advantage in terms of operating costs.

“That is why our expansion in Europe has been massive,” he said, adding that the airline’s market share within the Association of European Airlines (AEA) has risen from 4 per cent to 8.5 per cent, not far behind the leading AEA airline which had a market share of between 12 and 14 per cent.

Dr Kotil also pointed out that Turkish Airlines serves Europe very extensively and that it currently offers as many as 220 flights per week into nine German cities alone.

 He said that several competing five-star carriers were not able to match this service because of the longer distances they have to travel, which translated into higher operating costs.

Last year, Turkish Airlines carried 25 million passengers to 158 destinations the airline expects these numbers to rise to 30 million passengers and 168 destinations by the end of the year.

Dr Kotil also projected that by the end of the year Turkish Airlines expected to become the world’s ninth largest in terms of coverage with 5,000 flights per week.

THY currently has 89 aircraft on order including Boeing 737s and 777s and Airbus 330 and 320s.

“With this level of growth we could become one of the largest airlines in Europe. In 10 years we want to be as big as Lufthansa,” he concluded.

The city has various districts including Sultanahmet, the old city, where most of the historical sites are located, the new city, which is the main business district and home to many modern shopping malls, and the European bank of the Bosphorus dotted with palaces, parks, waterfront mansions and Bohemian neighbourhoods.

The archipelago of nine Princes Islands, with their verdant pine forests and spectacular scenery, provides an excellent getaway from the city.

Istanbul offers a wealth of historic and religious sites to visit mostly dating back to the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Sultanahmet Mosque are located around Sultanahmet Square. Others are dispersed throughout the peninsula of the old city such as the Church of St Savior in Chora (Kariye Müzesi).

North of the peninsula, across the Golden Horn of the Bosphorus Strait, is Galata, crowned by the Galata Tower. Istanbul Modern, with its exhibitions of contemporary Turkish art, is on the nearby waterfront of Karaköy. Close by is the Galata Whirling Dervish Hall of the Sufi Mevlevi order and heading west takes you deeper into the estuary to the neighbourhood of Eyüp, home to the city’s holiest Islamic shrine.

And don’t forget, one ‘must-do’ while visiting Istanbul is a cruise on the Bosphorus where you will cross from Europe into Asia.

Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul daily from most Middle East cities on comfortable, narrow-bodied aircraft with a two-class configuration – business and economy.

Check in is quick and efficient and those travelling business class have access to lounges at both ends with the one in Istanbul offering relaxation rooms, massage chairs, gender-based prayer rooms, showers with special toiletry kits, a play room for children and a private infant room as well as the usual amenities of business centre, meeting room and an array of food and drinks.

All the Middle East regional carriers also fly into Istanbul.

By Kim Thomson

The fare is TRY25 ($15.5), departure is early and the trip is very popular, so it’s a good idea to arrive early and be prepared to queue.

The ferry waits some hours in Anadolu Kavagi so take a walk to the Yoros Kalesi, a strategic castle overlooking and controlling the entry to the Black Sea where Christian engravings are still visible in the stonework.

There are restaurants in the castle surrounds which have spectacular views or plenty of time to wander back to the village for lunch.

In addition to sight-seeing, there is the dining and nightlife experience. There are too many venues to mention, however Topaz Restaurant was a favourite offering Mediterranean and Ottaman cuisine with great views over the Bosphorus.

By Kim Thomson