Reaching Constantinople (present day Istanbul) was the objective of the Dardanelles campaign in 1915. An objective that failed. The battlefield tour, however, managed to arrive safely at Istanbul airport in high spirits and only slightly crumpled from the long flight. We checked into the Marmara hotel to ‘freshen up’ and in the afternoon we set off to cruise on the Bosphorus followed by a visit to the Egyptian Spice Market.

Cruise on the Bosphorus

Istanbul straddles two continents, from the boat you can look one way and see Asia and the other Europe. This fortress is located at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus Strait on the Asian shore. It is part of the Istanbul city walls that date from the 5th Century and stretch seven kilometres from the sea of Mamara to the Golden Horn.

Spice Bazaar established in 1597