2 - Istanbul - From Russia with Love

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We head back to the sultry tones and dapper suits of Sean Connery's Bond in From Russia With Love for our next location. Bond is sent to Istanbul to collect a cypher machine from potential Russian defector, Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi). In between seducing the beautiful Russian agent, Bond creates havoc in the Turkish city, evading capture and trying to hunt down the elusive Lektor cypher machine. The turret-filled skylines and bustling streets of Istanbul make for a perfect location for Bond to evade his enemies and embark on a love affair or two. Full of mosques with interesting stories, smoky shisha bars and winding alley ways, this city is like one big hiding place.

As Bond navigates the bustling city, he passes (and in some cases ruins) some of Istanbul's best known attractions. The huge covered market where he meets ally and aide Ali Kerim Bey, for example, is the famous Grand Bazaar. One of the largest covered markets in the world, the Bazaar buzzes continuously all day long. Tourists and locals alike wander through the endless alleys in search of little trinkets or beautiful rugs.

As well as the Grand Bazaar, Bond also ventures down into an underground basilica to reach the Russian Consulate. This is the real Yerebatan Sarnici, or Basilica Cistern, which is now open to the public who can discover its flooded chambers, raised walkways and terrifying medusa heads. The entrance is just two steps from the doors of the famous Hagia Sofia, church-turned-mosque-turned-museum, which displays some of the most beautiful Muslim and Christian architecture, jostling for position in the huge building.

This is not even close to all that Istanbul has to offer. A buzzing nightlife, the beautiful Bosporus at your fingertips and the rolling hills along either side of the narrow sea make for a trip as relaxed or upbeat as you desire.

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