Astride the glittering Bosphorus, Istanbul is the hotspot in which worlds, cultures, religions, and empires collide. A singular fusion of East and West, historical and present day, grit and grandeur. Previous bohemian neighborhoods thrum with new-wave cooks and modern artists. Exquisitely restored Ottoman palaces and mansions now household an abundance http://www.stes.tyc.edu.tw/xoops/