Hidden gems in Istanbul, the city beyond Sultanahmet

Balat, the photogenic neighborhood

A 20 minute walk north along the Golden Horn from the Spice Bazaar, Balat is a hillside of pastel-painted Ottoman houses, antique shops, and slow cafes. The neighborhood was historically Jewish, then Greek, then Bulgarian, and the Phanar Greek Orthodox College still towers over it. The crew chat photos happen at the painted house cluster on Kiremit Caddesi. Lunch at Forno (an Italian-leaning local favorite) or Asitane (for Ottoman court cuisine).

Suleymaniye Mosque over the Blue Mosque

Sinan, the great Ottoman architect, considered Suleymaniye his masterpiece. The Blue Mosque (also stunning) gets every visitor, Suleymaniye gets perhaps one in twenty. The site sits on a hill overlooking the Golden Horn with a vast courtyard, full views of the Bosphorus from outside, and silent interiors. Visit at sunset.

Kuzguncuk, the village inside the city

Ferry from Karakoy to Uskudar, then a short bus or walk along the Bosphorus. Kuzguncuk is a small Asian-side neighborhood with one main street of cafes, a synagogue, two churches, and a mosque all on the same block (the rare survival of multifaith Istanbul). The seaside promenade is empty on weekdays. Lunch at Ismet Baba for the fish.

The cistern nobody visits

Yerebatan (the famous Basilica Cistern) gets queues. Theodosius Cistern (Serefiye Sarnici), three blocks away in Sultanahmet, has the same kind of atmospheric vaulted underground space and almost no visitors. Entry under 5 euros, takes 30 minutes.

Tea gardens with no English menu

Most tourist-area tea is forgettable. The local tea garden experience happens at:

• -Cibali Cay Bahcesi, on the Golden Horn near Balat, samovar tea and shisha, all locals
• -Pierre Loti, on a hill overlooking Eyup cemetery and the Golden Horn, take the cable car up
• -Sultanahmet Cafe garden on the back side of Topkapi for the after-mosque tea

Pera Museum

A small but excellent museum in Beyoglu showing Anatolian weights and measures, Kutahya tiles, and rotating contemporary art. Two hours, almost no queue, entry around 4 euros. The afternoon trip when the major sites are mobbed.