Istanbul

I went to Istanbul, Turkey for the New Year. Going there is like stepping back in time, with all the history from two of the worlds greatest empires. Although Istanbul has a very modern offering this time we concentrated on the historical Sultanahmet area, going for Friday prayer at the Blue Mosque (built in 1617 and still used as a place of worship today), the Hagia Sophia with its mix of Christian Byzantine and Islamic mosaics, and of course the Topkapi palace (home to Sultans for more than 3 centuries). As usual, no visit to Turkey is complete with going to Cemberlitas Hamami for a Turkish Bath. Dating from the 1584 it is one of the loveliest Hammams in Istanbul. A lot of my inspiration of my spa treatments come from visiting Istanbul and just dreaming of what life might have been like in those days. Spa is all about being pampered from head to toe and all you have to do is enjoy! Following on from my trip in Istanbul, Talise spa in Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai offers Shiffa Hammam treatments.

I also went to visit the Istanbul Modern museum of Art and a few of the art galleries as well. Turkish art is very interesting and gaining an international following. As usual, there is no way you can finish all there is to do in Turkey in a few days, so I shall come back again.