I’m here to dispel a few common myths about the Turkish city of Istanbul. Contrary to popular belief, Istanbul is a thriving, youthful and surprisingly modern city. Whilst visiting mosques and museums is an essential part of a trip to Turkey for most tourists, don’t overlook what contemporary Istanbul has to offer in the way of night life, fashion and business!

When you have visited the Blue Mosque and the Haya Sofia, drank tea in a çay bahçesi (tea garden), and shopped in the Grand Bazaar, head back to your hotel in Istanbul before heading out to explore the ever-expanding collection of night clubs and bars that are dotted around the city. The Beyoglu district, on the European side of the Bosphorus, in particular has received a much needed face lift over the past ten years and is now home to some very nice bars and restaurants that fill up on a Saturday evening. 360 Istanbul, Nu-Teras and Babylon are the names of just a few places worth checking out for music and great city views from roof top terraces. The admirable thing about young people in Istanbul is their ability to move with the times whilst maintaining more traditional pastimes like drinking tea in quiet, candle-lit gardens and smoking water pipes whilst listening to traditional Turkish music.

Other common myths I am keen to dispel are the ideas that (1) there is no gay scene in Turkey and (2) Istanbul is not a safe place for western women to travel. Although maybe not advertised as such, there are a growing number of gay bars and clubs in Istanbul and people’s opinion of homosexuality, particularly among the young people, is far more liberal and tolerant that many westerners may think. As far as being a lone female traveller in Istanbul is concerned; you need to exercise common sense here as in any other major city. Know your areas and which to avoid after dark but, other than that, there is no reason why you can not enjoy this exciting city as much as your fellow male travellers.

If there is something that Istanbul does well, it is organise major business events like conferences, trade fairs and congresses. The city’s impressive list of major annual events includes: Istanbul Gida, IPACK Turkey and AYMOD. So it’s no wonder there are so many budget hotels in Istanbul, designed with the business traveller in mind.

If you come to Istanbul in search of exoticism and tradition, you won’t be disappointed…just don’t expect it to be all that you will find here.