Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul: the history goes back a thousand years. Divided by the Bosphorus - Europe on one side, Asia on the other - this throbbing and majestic metropolis combines ancient with unexpectedly modern. Turkish women dressed in Dolce & Gabbana mingle with bagel vendors wieldling rackety trolleys down the Istiklal Caddesi, friendly no-frills lokanta rub shoulders with funky cafes and bars. With its domes, minarets, skyscrapers and towers, Istanbul has one of the most eclectic – and memorable - skylines in the world. It was also a European City of Culture in 2010.