Topkapi Palace Trees, Istanbul

Beauties of Istanbul in Winter

All the tourist brochures are filled with photos of Istanbul in summer.

Fine!

But winter has its own beauties, as this picture of the Court of the Janissaries (First Court) in Topkapi Palace shows: the clear spareness of the scene, the longer prespectives and slanting gentle winter light, and the lack of tourist crowds all contribute to the beauty of this photo.

If you travel to Turkey in wintertime, what's the weather like? Well, the sun sure isn't out every day. Many days are rainy, dank and cold, but even those days can be good if you visit one of Istanbul's sumptuous palaces or outstanding museums, then wrap your chilled fingers around a glass of fresh, hot, bracing Turkish tea before venturing forth again for a satisfying dinner.

Order Iskender kebap. Nobody can stay glum when eating that stuff.

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