Mehmet II also built Topkapı Palace, a sprawling complex of gorgeously appointed pavilions and courtyards, and a harem for the sultan's many wives. The palace served as the sultan's residence for the next four centuries. It was Ahmet I, one of Mehmet's successors, who in 1616 built the last of these three remarkable structures. Sultanahmet Camii—also known as the Blue Mosque because of its elaborately tiled interiors—was specifically constructed by Ahmet to outshine Hagia Sophia. With hundreds of windows, a bevy of domes gleaming in the sun, and six minarets, the mosque is a stunning architectural marvel still in operation, calling the faithful to prayer five times a day. The mosque is equally crowded with Westerners in T-shirts and Mideasterners in chadors.

Perhaps the most famous object is the fourth century B.C. Alexander Sarcophagus, so called for its high-relief frieze depicting the Macedonian king battling Persian forces. Despite its name, it once held the mummified remains of a king from Sidon, Lebanon, which are also on display. Also powerful is the statue of Marsyas, a satyr who challenged the Greek god Apollo to a flute contest—and lost. The sun god punished Marysas for his hubris, and it is this torment the statue depicts. Every muscle lavishly detailed, Marsyas is shown strung up by his arms, his face anguished with pain and perhaps regret, his chest heaving. It makes your own breath catch.

It is at the junction of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn that you'll find Eminönü Station, Istanbul's busiest port of call.

With six ferry berths, Eminönü is where you catch a ride across the strait to conservative Üsküdar, on the Asian side; take a slightly longer trip to the elegant seaside restaurants in Arnavutköy; or relax on the classic Scenic Bosphorus Tour to the mouth of the Bosphorus at the Black Sea. The five-hour round-trip journey includes a three-hour break at the village of Anadolu Kavagi—perfect for a leisurely lunch or stroll. Timetables are posted at Eminönü by each berth. For English timetables, visit the official IDO Web site: www.ido.com.tr/en/index.cfm.

While waiting for a ferry, nibble on a simit (round sesame bread) and watch the local fishermen cast their lines off Galata Bridge.

Surrounded by international hotels and foreign embassies, Taksim Square is the eastern terminus of Istiklal Caddesi, a pedestrian-only thoroughfare cutting through the superhip neighborhoods Taksim, Beyoglu, and Tünel. It's lined with shops selling everything from top-label clothes to handmade Turkish delight.

Side streets are lively with the sounds of folk music, Gypsy jams, hip hop, and indie rock emanating from a variety of clubs, bars, and restaurants. At the far end of Istiklal Caddesi is Tünel, where winding alleys are bursting with one alfresco venue after another. On Nevizade Street, find a bevy of meyhane, restaurants specializing in the traditional Turkish multicourse meal of mezze. Choose from dozens of small cold appetizers—vegetables, yogurt and cheese, sardines, even lamb's brain—and then graduate to a main course of fish or lamb.

The meal is best accompanied by rakı, an anise-flavored liqueur similiar t o Greek ouzo. Turkey's signature drink, rakı is blended with water and ice and has a cool, clean flavor that is the perfect palate-cleansing counterpoint to the deliciously bold flavors found in Turkish cuisine. Relaxing at a meyhane is a wonderful way to unwind with colleagues or forge new bonds with business contacts.