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RICK STEVES' EUROPE: Istanbul

The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
Courtesy of American Public Television
The Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.

Saturday, July 26, 2014 at 4 p.m. on KPBS TV / PBS Video app

Where Europe comes face to face with Asia, we’ll explore the fascinating, multilayered city of Istanbul. On "Istanbul," we’ll lose our way in the Grand Bazaar and munch our way through the famously fragrant Spice Market. We’ll follow the fall of the ancient capital of Byzantium and the rise of Islam at the city’s ancient wall, and wander among the treasures of the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace. To escape the city bustle, we’ll cruise the churning waters of the Bosphorus, make friends over backgammon, and try a traditional Turkish bath.

Rick Steves introduces us to new friends in the fifth season of RICK STEVES' EUROPE, ranging from Iran and Turkey to Catalunya and Copenhagen.
Courtesy of American Public Television
Rick Steves introduces us to new friends in the fifth season of RICK STEVES' EUROPE, ranging from Iran and Turkey to Catalunya and Copenhagen.

America's favorite travel guide transports viewers to Europe's cities, villages and countryside. In the fifth season of RICK STEVES' EUROPE, Rick bikes the back lanes of Copenhagen, waltzes through Vienna, slurps escargot in Burgundy, ventures to the desolate side of a Greek isle for the perfect sunset, and strives to appreciate famously stinky cheese of Olomouc in the Czech Republic. He also wanders through Salvador Dali's home, communes with Viking ghosts on Denmark’s "ship-in-a-bottle" isle, scampers through Delphi’s dramatic ruins, witnesses Barcelonan children learning to speak Catalan and ventures through a World War II-era fortress buried deep in the Swiss Alps.

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Istanbul, Turkey: Cosmopolitan New Town
Istanbul, Turkey: Grand Bazaar
Istanbul, Turkey: Hagia Sophia
Istanbul, Turkey: Golden Horn and Bosphorus
Istanbul, Turkey: The Blue Mosque
Istanbul, Turkey: Topkapı Palace
Istanbul, Turkey: Enjoying a Turkish Bath