As Istanbul awakens, the lyrical cry of the call to prayer ricochets across the rooftops, as the first rays of sunlight glint off the gilded crescents, atop the mosques. From day break, the aromatic city signatures freely waft in the morning breeze, from the barbequed fish, chestnuts and corncobs of the emblematic street carts, to the heady fragrance of roasted Turkish coffee suffusing from the cafes. 

Make a date with the Turkish metropolis in the soft spring light of mid-April, when the annual Tulip Festival festoons the city with 30 million blooming bulbs. Most people associate tulips with Holland, underscoring what a marketing coup it was for the canny Dutch to purchase vast bulb supplies off the Turkish Ottoman traders four hundred years ago.

But like the tulips, the Ottoman Turks made an enduring mark on the wider world. Austria and Eastern Europe was introduced to coffee beans, after Turkish soldiers inadvertently left behind bags of coffee beans, as they unsuccessfully tried to lay siege to Vienna in 1683. At first, the Austrians didn’t know what to do with the beans. They tried to make soup with them, until some Turkish prisoners set them on the right path, and sowed the seeds for the rise of the legendary Viennese coffee house.

And no visitor to Istanbul is left unimpressed by the soaring grandeur of the Blue Mosque, built in 1609, with a towering central dome. The architectural form was widely adopted by most successive mosque builders, from Cairo to Dubai. In a city so textured and multi-layered, where history lies literally beneath your feet, Istanbul is best enjoyed in tasty bites.

Tick off the old standards like Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and the staggering behemoth of Hagia Sophia, but try and do them early in the morning, to leap-frog the crowd crush and brain-busting queues.

You’ll need plenty of time to immerse yourself in the monumental grandeur of Haghia Sophia, to appreciate the fading splendours of the cavernous nave ( partially clad in scaffolding for stabilisation and leak-repair work) and shadowy arcades, where storied 1000 year old mosaics await.

Billowing queues normally don’t blight two of my favourite Istanbul experiences, which aren’t as frenetically trafficked but deliver in spades.

Lurking underneath Sultanahmet Square, discover the wondrous watery world of the Basilica Cistern, a subterranean water storage of palatial proportions, first built in 527AD, and more recently featured in James Bond’s From Russia with Love.

From Taksim Square, trawl Ishtiklal Street, the serpentine pedestrianised sweep that leads you to Galata Tower’s heart-melting skyline views. The area has a very different feel to Sultanahmet, with its tangle of inviting side alleys and shabby chic buildings, brimming with boutiques, eateries and bookstores.

Shopping is synonymous with the trading hot-bed of Istanbul and the enticing Egyptian Bazaar (also known as the Spice Bazaar) is a great taster. Like all traditional bazaars, you’ll notice that they huddle alongside mosques, as these trading emporia funded their upkeep. Nowadays, all mosques are funded by the Turkish government. Still the centre of Istanbul’s spice trade, the Egyptian Bazaar was initially endowed with taxes levied on goods imported from Egypt, when it was built in 1660. In its heyday, the bazaar was the final stop for the camel caravans that travelled the Silk Routes from China, India and Persia. Comprising  85 shops, the eye candy spans spices, caviar, dried herbs, nuts, dried fruits and stacks of souvenirs. The outdoor produce stalls include a wonderful selection of cheeses and don’t miss Istanbul’s famous coffee supplier, Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, established over 100 years ago.

Once you’ve honed your haggling skills, head to the fabled Grand Bazaar, first built in 1455. Billed as the world’s oldest covered market, this labyrinthine emporium  encompasses 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops. Last year, a staggering 91 million visitors trawled this cavernous cornucopia of commerce.

Bargain like a Turk and score some sizzling deals on authentic leather items, carpets, gold, silver or mosaic glass lamps. Top off your shopping like a local, with a stop at a hookah café, for apple tea and a hookah water pipe. The choice of tobacco flavourings is virtually endless, and the experience is timeless Istanbul unplugged.

TOP TIPS

If you share my fetish for Turkish Delight, visit the kitchens at Topkapi Palace, which is where the famed confection was created. To taste the best, don’t fritter your money on the touristy stuff at the bazaars. Do like the locals, and buy it from Koska, a specialty store with branches all over the city.

An epic underground rail tunnel across the Bosphorus, due to open next year, will connect Asia with Europe, aligned with the grand old railway station of Orient Express fame. The vision is rail operators will run intercontinental train trips from Shanghai all the way to London. There’s a trip for the bucket list, in the years to come!