Bosphorus literally means "cow-ford", so named because Zeus' s mistress, Io, fled across the strait in the shape of a cow to escape the wrath of Zeus's wife, Hera. Myth aside, the legendary waterway is as dazzlingly beautiful now as it was in antiquity. No visit to Istanbul is complete without a cruise along its physical and spiritual heart, the glistening waters that link Europe to Asia, that join the Black Sea and Sea of Marmara.

After a brief visit to the 17th century Spice Bazaar* (*closed on Sundays), the second largest covered bazaar in Istanbul, we embark on a cruise up the Bosphorus, the legendary strait separating Europe and Asia. We cruise past the Dolmabahce and Beylerbeyi Palaces, wooden 19th century seafront mansions, picturesque villages and modern pleasure palaces, disembarking at the mouth of the Black Sea. We then drive along the strait to the Sadberk Hanim Museum (closed on Wednesdays), a gracious three-story waterfront mansion housing a rich collection of Anatolian works of arts, antiques and relics dating back to 6,000 BC.

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