/* eslint-disable */
// Auto-generated destination data — istanbul
window.ISTANBUL_DATA = {
  "chrome": {
    "hero": {
      "kicker": "HowTo:Travel · Middle East · Türkiye",
      "h1Lines": [
        "Istanbul is a city",
        "that has never decided",
        "which continent it belongs to."
      ],
      "issueLabel": "Issue Nº 47 · Türkiye city guide · Updated April 2026",
      "lede": "Two cities, one strait. On the European bank: sultans' palaces, Byzantine domes, the Bosphorus crashing against medieval walls. On the Asian bank: fishermen, tea gardens, the noise of a city that hasn't finished building itself. The ferries run every fifteen minutes. Most visitors stay on one side. That's the mistake.",
      "stats": "1 city · 2 continents · 17 million people · 1 strait that changed history",
      "metaRows": [
        {
          "k": "Currency",
          "v": "Turkish lira (₺)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Plug type",
          "v": "Type C, F (220V, 50Hz)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Visa for US/UK",
          "v": "Not required (180 days)"
        },
        {
          "k": "Best for first-timers",
          "v": "April–May, September–October"
        },
        {
          "k": "Language",
          "v": "Turkish; English in touristed zones"
        }
      ],
      "frames": [
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1588080876916-f8a5c8b7c4b6?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Sultanahmet · Blue Mosque at dawn · 41°N"
        },
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1606745519817-db48085a0f6e?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Galata Tower · Beyoğlu roofline · 41°N"
        },
        {
          "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1609137144814-c4af6c75f2ad?w=600&auto=format",
          "cap": "Bosphorus · Ferries at golden hour · 41°N"
        }
      ]
    },
    "anchor": {
      "label": "In this guide",
      "items": [
        {
          "id": "intro",
          "label": "Letter"
        },
        {
          "id": "neighborhoods",
          "label": "Neighborhoods"
        },
        {
          "id": "cities",
          "label": "Cities"
        },
        {
          "id": "trains",
          "label": "Ferries & transit"
        },
        {
          "id": "when",
          "label": "When to go"
        },
        {
          "id": "food",
          "label": "What to eat"
        },
        {
          "id": "festivals",
          "label": "Festivals"
        },
        {
          "id": "language",
          "label": "Phrases"
        },
        {
          "id": "faq",
          "label": "Questions"
        }
      ]
    },
    "intro": {
      "lead": "Istanbul wrecks the usual travel logic. It is not a city where you 'do' the sights and move on. It is a city where you get lost in the backstreets of Balat, drink tea at a fisherman's café on the Asian shore, take the ferry at sunset, and understand that the real Istanbul lives in the spaces between the guidebook entries. The mosques will still be there tomorrow. But the old man selling mussels at the Galata Bridge will not.",
      "side": "The editors have written about Istanbul for fifteen years and still discover new tea gardens. The city changes every three months. What was a quiet neighbourhood becomes fashionable; what was touristed becomes local again. Come in May or September. Avoid August.",
      "credit": "— The editors · Istanbul · March 2026"
    },
    "signoff": {
      "h2": "The ferry back to Europe",
      "body": "You will take the ferry more times than you expect. It costs less than a coffee. The light changes across the Bosphorus every ten minutes. By your fifth crossing, you will stop looking at your phone. This is the moment you've understood Istanbul.",
      "credit": "— The editors"
    }
  },
  "neighborhoods": [
    {
      "num": "01",
      "name": "Sultanahmet &",
      "nameEm": "Balat",
      "city": "Istanbul",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "text": "Sultanahmet is the tourist map — Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Topkapi Palace grid. But turn left instead of right and you're in Balat: faded Ottoman wooden houses, Greek cafés, boatmen pulling nets. Sleep in Sultanahmet; breakfast and wander in Balat.",
      "why": "The old city. Where empires left their footprints and locals still live in them."
    },
    {
      "num": "02",
      "name": "Karaköy &",
      "nameEm": "Beyoğlu",
      "city": "Istanbul",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "text": "Karaköy is the ferry landing, the galata Tower rising behind it, the old customs house now a market. Beyoğlu is the climb uphill: Istiklal Caddesi (the main drag) lined with galleries, bookshops, meyhane (taverns) where locals drink rakı until 2am. The real Beyoğlu is three blocks left or right of Istiklal.",
      "why": "The European bank that doesn't feel European. Young Istanbul, chaotic Istanbul, Istanbul that argues about politics over dinner."
    },
    {
      "num": "03",
      "name": "Ortaköy &",
      "nameEm": "Beşiktaş",
      "city": "Istanbul",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "text": "Ortaköy sits under the first Bosphorus Bridge, a waterfront village posing as a neighbourhood. Sunday mornings: the mosque, the market, the ferry terminal. The locals are leaving; the tourists are arriving. Beşiktaş is where they collide — football stadium, fish market, the Dolmabahçe Palace looming behind it all.",
      "why": "The Bosphorus view. You'll understand why empires fought over this strait."
    },
    {
      "num": "04",
      "name": "Kadıköy &",
      "nameEm": "Moda",
      "city": "Istanbul",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "text": "Cross the ferry to Asia and you've crossed a psychological border. Kadıköy is the answer to Beyoğlu — younger, cheaper, less packaged. The fish market runs for four blocks. The cafés are where artists actually work. Moda is the southern extension: parks, bookshops, the city's best single-origin coffee bars.",
      "why": "The view back. The Asian shore looks at European Istanbul the way locals do: with affection and skepticism."
    },
    {
      "num": "05",
      "name": "Princes Islands",
      "nameEm": "",
      "city": "Istanbul",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "text": "Ferry east from Kadıköy for forty minutes and you're on Büyükada, the largest island. No cars. Horse carriages. Pine trees. A Greek monastery. The kind of day trip that locals take in April and September — not to see the sights, but to eat midye dolma (stuffed mussels) at a seaside café and remember Istanbul exists for reasons beyond tourism.",
      "why": "The escape hatch. When the city becomes too loud, the islands are seventeen minutes away."
    },
    {
      "num": "06",
      "name": "Cihangir &",
      "nameEm": "Asmalımescit",
      "city": "Istanbul",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "text": "Cihangir is the neighbourhood where Beyoğlu slows down — fewer tourists, more residents, better meyhane (wine bars). Asmalımescit sits above it: steep streets, the smell of olive oil from neighbourhood restaurants, the kind of place where you can sit for three hours over a single glass of wine and a shared meze plate and no one minds.",
      "why": "The Istanbul where locals actually live. If you see a blue plaque, you've found a poet's former house."
    }
  ],
  "cities": [
    {
      "name": "Istanbul",
      "pop": 15.4,
      "region": "Türkiye",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "img": "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1588080876916-f8a5c8b7c4b6?w=900&auto=format",
      "days": "5–7",
      "mood": "Layered, loud, impossible",
      "best": "May · September–October",
      "quote": "Take the ferry at sunset. Get off at a random stop. Walk. Dinner at 10pm."
    }
  ],
  "trains": [
    {
      "route": "Sultanahmet → Kadıköy (Asia)",
      "time": "0h 20",
      "op": "Istanbul Denizcilik (ferries)",
      "note": "Departs every 15 min from Eminönü. Cost ₺15. The real Istanbul crossing."
    },
    {
      "route": "Karaköy → Büyükada (Princes Islands)",
      "time": "0h 45",
      "op": "Istanbul Denizcilik",
      "note": "Morning departures only (7am–2pm). Return ferry 4pm–6pm. Day trip essential."
    },
    {
      "route": "Taksim → Sultanahmet (by foot or metro)",
      "time": "1h walk",
      "op": "On foot, or T1 tram from Taksim to Sultanahmet",
      "note": "Walking is faster and you'll find three tea gardens you didn't plan on."
    },
    {
      "route": "Beyoğlu → Ortaköy (via Bosphorus)",
      "time": "0h 30",
      "op": "Local ferries from Karaköy",
      "note": "Hop-on ferries run north along the European shore. ₺15 each leg."
    },
    {
      "route": "Laleli → Airport (Atatürk or Sabiha)",
      "time": "0h 45–1h 30",
      "op": "IETT bus (BUS), Havaist coach, or taxi",
      "note": "Metro-bus combo cheapest (₺50). Taxis quote tourist prices; use BiTaksi app."
    }
  ],
  "when": [
    {
      "m": "Jan",
      "n": "Rain, empty mosques, fewer tourists. Soup season. 8°C mornings."
    },
    {
      "m": "Feb",
      "n": "Still quiet. Almond blossoms in Balat gardens. 9°C."
    },
    {
      "m": "Mar",
      "n": "Spring arrives; light changes. Beyoğlu opens for dinner again. 12°C."
    },
    {
      "m": "Apr",
      "n": "Perfect. 18°C. Locals are back from winter. Book restaurants ahead."
    },
    {
      "m": "May",
      "n": "Peak season begins, but still manageable. 22°C. Do not miss this month."
    },
    {
      "m": "Jun",
      "n": "Hot (27°C). Tourists multiply. Ramazan begins mid-month; restaurants close 9am–9pm."
    },
    {
      "m": "Jul",
      "n": "Muggy, 29°C, packed. Locals leave for the coast. Ramadan ends early month."
    },
    {
      "m": "Aug",
      "n": "Avoid. 31°C. Tourists everywhere, locals nowhere. Restaurants either tourist traps or closed."
    },
    {
      "m": "Sep",
      "n": "The secret month. 26°C. Tourists thin out, locals return. Book now for May; come now for September."
    },
    {
      "m": "Oct",
      "n": "Still warm (20°C). Light is golden. Fewer tourists than May but same quality food."
    },
    {
      "m": "Nov",
      "n": "Rain returns. 15°C. The city feels like it belongs to Istanbulites again."
    },
    {
      "m": "Dec",
      "n": "Cold (10°C). Quiet. New Year's Eve is tourist chaos; New Year's Day is perfect."
    }
  ],
  "food": [
    {
      "dish": "Midye dolma",
      "where": "Kadıköy waterfront",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "note": "Mussels the size of figs, stuffed with rice and pine nuts, eaten standing at the market counter. Buy from the woman in the yellow apron.",
      "emoji": "🦪",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Balık ekmek",
      "where": "Galata Bridge",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "note": "Grilled mackerel in white bread. Eaten on the bridge at sunset with the city turning gold. Cost ₺75. Do not ask for ketchup.",
      "emoji": "🐟",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Çorba (lentil or tripe)",
      "where": "Any meyhane, Balat",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "note": "Fermented warmth. Lentil for mornings (after ferry rides). Tripe for late nights (after rakı). Order both if you're staying three days.",
      "emoji": "🥣",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Meze: salatası, sigara böreği, yaprak dolma",
      "where": "Beyoğlu meyhane (Çiçek Pasajı or smaller side streets)",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "note": "Ten small plates, endless bread, the purpose of dinner is conversation not speed. Arrive hungry; leave at midnight.",
      "emoji": "🍽️",
      "span": 2
    },
    {
      "dish": "Lahmacun",
      "where": "Balat, Cihangir street carts",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "note": "Turkish pizza: thin dough, minced lamb, lemon. Folded and eaten standing. Cost ₺40. The baker knows your face by the third visit.",
      "emoji": "🍕",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Menemen",
      "where": "Any lokanta breakfast counter",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "note": "Eggs scrambled with tomato, onion, and peppers, in a copper pan still hot from the stove. Eat with fresh white bread and finish the pan.",
      "emoji": "🍳",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Baklava (pistachio, Antep style)",
      "where": "Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Bazaar), Ferzin or Karakoy locations",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "note": "Shattered phyllo, crushed pistachios from Gaziantep, butter that tastes like clarified memory. Buy from shops that smell like honey.",
      "emoji": "🥜",
      "span": 1
    },
    {
      "dish": "Kalamar tava",
      "where": "Kadıköy fish market or Ortaköy waterfront",
      "regionId": "istanbul",
      "note": "Squid rings fried until they curl, salt, lemon, the sound of the Bosphorus behind you. Eaten from a paper cone while standing.",
      "emoji": "🦑",
      "span": 1
    }
  ],
  "festivals": [
    {
      "num": "01",
      "name": "İstanbul Film Festival",
      "where": "Istanbul",
      "when": "April",
      "text": "Forty years running. Turkish cinema, international premieres, sold-out screenings at Beyoğlu's old cinemas. Book tickets early. Dinner conversations shift to directors, cinematography, politics encoded in frame.",
      "regionId": "istanbul"
    },
    {
      "num": "02",
      "name": "Nevruz",
      "where": "Sultanahmet, Taksim Square",
      "when": "March 21",
      "text": "Spring equinox. Picnics, folk dancers, the city arrives with drums and flags. Taksim fills with 200,000 people singing. Locals avoid it; visitors crowd it. Go at 7am, stay for breakfast, leave before noon.",
      "regionId": "istanbul"
    },
    {
      "num": "03",
      "name": "Ramazan (Ramadan)",
      "where": "All of Istanbul",
      "when": "June (2026)",
      "text": "Month of fasting. Restaurants close 9am–9pm. The call to prayer becomes the rhythm of the day. Iftar (breaking fast) meals are elaborate and late. Ramadan Bayramı (Eid) at month's end: three days off, everyone travels. Avoid planning mid-trip.",
      "regionId": "istanbul"
    },
    {
      "num": "04",
      "name": "Yer Küresi İçin Taksim Dayanışması",
      "where": "Gezi Park, Taksim",
      "when": "May (annual)",
      "text": "Smaller now than the 2013 protests, but locals still gather to remember. Music, speeches, the city's political soul on display. Peaceful. Beyoğlu fills with locals, not tourists.",
      "regionId": "istanbul"
    },
    {
      "num": "05",
      "name": "Istanbul Music Festival",
      "where": "Various venues (Topkapi Palace, Rumeli Fortress, churches)",
      "when": "June–July",
      "text": "Classical, jazz, world music. Concerts in impossible venues. Hagia Irene (the oldest church, off-limits to tourists normally) hosts the opening. Book early.",
      "regionId": "istanbul"
    },
    {
      "num": "06",
      "name": "Kurban Bayramı (Eid al-Adha)",
      "where": "All of Istanbul",
      "when": "June (2026)",
      "text": "Four-day holiday. Families travel, streets quiet, restaurants closed. If in Istanbul by accident: stay in neighbourhoods (Cihangir, Asmalımescit), eat at neighbourhood tables, observe the rhythm.",
      "regionId": "istanbul"
    }
  ],
  "language": [
    {
      "lc": "Merhaba",
      "tr": "Hello",
      "note": "The default greeting. Formal but not cold. Use it everywhere."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Çay ister misin?",
      "tr": "Would you like tea?",
      "note": "You will hear this offering throughout the day. Saying no is considered rude. Answer evet (yes) or, tactfully, later. The answer is always yes."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Afiyetle yemeği!",
      "tr": "Enjoy your meal!",
      "note": "Said to anyone eating near you. Respond: siz de afiyet olsun (same to you). Not responding makes locals think you're unfriendly."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Teşekkür ederim",
      "tr": "Thank you",
      "note": "Essential. Use often. Locals notice politeness. Informal: sağol."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Ne kadar?",
      "tr": "How much? / How much does it cost?",
      "note": "For markets, street food, anything without a price tag. Haggling is expected in the Bazaar but not restaurants."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Bir kahve, lütfen",
      "tr": "One coffee, please",
      "note": "Kahve is Turkish coffee (thick, sweet, tiny cup). Specify: şeker (sugar) — lots, az (less), or sade (none). Espresso is café."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Hoşça kalın",
      "tr": "Goodbye (formal, leaving)",
      "note": "Response: hoşça kalınız. Used when departing a shop or café. Informal goodbye: bye, hadi."
    },
    {
      "lc": "Pardon, İngilizce konuşuyor musunuz?",
      "tr": "Sorry, do you speak English?",
      "note": "Ask this first. Most younger locals do. Older Istanbul (Balat, Kadıköy side streets) less so. Always attempt Turkish first; locals will switch to English if they can."
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Is Istanbul safe for solo travellers?",
      "a": "Yes. The usual rules apply: avoid walking alone late at night in Aksaray or industrial zones. But Beyoğlu, Cihangir, Kadıköy, and Balat are as safe as any European city — safer in many respects. Locals are protective of their neighbourhoods. Petty theft in crowds (ferries, Bazaar) is common; watch bags. No political risk for tourists."
    },
    {
      "q": "Which side should I stay on — Europe or Asia?",
      "a": "First time: Europe (Sultanahmet, Beyoğlu, Cihangir). Second time or longer: split it. Sleep in Sultanahmet or Beyoğlu for nights 1–3, then cross to Kadıköy for the final days. The ferry is a tourist experience; using it daily is a local experience. It costs nothing; there's no reason not to move."
    },
    {
      "q": "How many days do I really need?",
      "a": "Three days is the minimum (one for Sultanahmet sights, one for Beyoğlu wandering, one for Kadıköy or islands). Five to seven is better. Two weeks and you'll still find new tea gardens. But three weeks and you'll want to live here. The city operates on repetition and slowness, not efficiency."
    },
    {
      "q": "What about scams and haggling?",
      "a": "The Bazaar has scams; stay alert, check prices at multiple stalls, don't buy things you haven't seen in daylight. Tourist restaurant prices are 3–4x neighbourhood prices — eat where locals eat. Haggling in the Bazaar is expected and fun; everywhere else, prices are fixed. One rule: if it feels off, leave. Trust your instincts."
    },
    {
      "q": "When is Ramadan and should I avoid it?",
      "a": "Ramadan 2026 is June 1–29. During the day: restaurants close, the city slows, it's quiet and lovely. During Iftar (sunset): the city explodes with feasting and celebration. If you like intensity, come during Iftar. If you want contemplation, come during fasting hours. Three-day Ramadan Bayramı (Eid) follows; book hotels ahead. Avoid planning major travel during Bayramı."
    },
    {
      "q": "What's the best way to move around?",
      "a": "Ferries first (cheap, the experience, no traffic). Istanbul metro is fast but underground; you'll miss the city. Taxis: use BiTaksi app or established companies (OK Taksi, Yeşil Taksi) — street hailing invites overcharging. Trams are slow but authentic (T1 tram from Taksim to Sultanahmet). Walking is best."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do I need to book restaurants in advance?",
      "a": "Meyhane (wine bars) in Beyoğlu: yes, especially weekends. Neighbourhood lokanta: no, arrive hungry, eat what's hot. Touristy restaurants near Hagia Sophia: no (and avoid them anyway). The best meals happen unplanned — a sign in Balat, a smell from a doorway, the recommendation of a hotel owner. Go alone or in small groups; locals will include you in conversation."
    },
    {
      "q": "How much money should I bring?",
      "a": "Istanbul is cheap by European standards. A meal at a good meyhane: ₺200–350 per person. Street food: ₺40–75. Hotel mid-range: ₺800–1,500 per night. Ferry: ₺15 per ride. ATMs are everywhere. Credit cards work in hotels and chain restaurants but not in markets or small meyhane. Bring cash."
    }
  ]
};