BACK WITH MORE OF THE BEST OF EUROPE.

THIS TIME WE'RE RELAXED AND GETTING ALL CLEANED UP

FOR A TURKISH EXPERIENCE IN ISTANBUL.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

ISTANBUL IS ONE OF THE GREAT CITIES ON EARTH, PERIOD.

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, THIS POINT WHERE EAST MEETS WEST

HAS BEEN A CROSSROADS OF CIVILIZATION.

FEW PLACES ON EARTH HAVE WITNESSED MORE HISTORY

THAN THIS SPRAWLING METROPOLIS ON THE BOSPHORUS.

WE'LL CRUISE THE GOLDEN HORN, SHOP THE GRAND BAZAAR

AND CHECK OUT A POOR MAN'S WALL STREET,

SAMPLE SOME TURKISH DELIGHTS...

OH, THAT'S GOOD, YEAH.

SMOKE A NARGHILE,

EAT FISH FRESH OFF THE BOAT,

EXPLORE THE HAREM IN THE TOPKAPI PALACE,

MARVEL AT BYZANTINE DOMES,

AND LOSE OURSELVES IN A SEA OF PEOPLE

IN THIS VAST AND COMPLEX CITY.

TURKEY BRIDGES EUROPE AND ASIA.

ISTANBUL, ITS LARGEST CITY AND COMMERCIAL CENTER,

STRADDLES THE STRATEGIC BOSPHORUS STRAIT.

PART OF THE CITY IS IN EUROPE AND PART IN ASIA.

THE GOLDEN HORN INLET DIVIDES THE NEW TOWN,

WITH ITS HIGH-ENERGY BUSINESS ZONES,

FROM THE OLD TOWN,

WHERE YOU'LL FIND THE MAJOR SITES.

AS A CITY WHICH IS OVER 90% MUSLIM,

ISTANBUL OFFERS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY

TO BETTER UNDERSTAND ISLAM.

VISITORS ARE WELCOME TO VISIT HISTORIC MOSQUES

AND, AT THE SAME TIME, EXPERIENCE A RELIGION

THAT STILL PACKS THE HOUSE.

THE BLUE MOSQUE WAS THE 17th-CENTURY TRIUMPH

OF SULTAN AHMET I.

ARCHITECTURALLY, WITH ITS SIX MINARETS,

IT RIVALED THE GREAT MOSQUE IN MECCA,

THE HOLIEST IN ALL ISLAM.

ITS GRAND COURTYARD WELCOMES THE CROWD

THAT GATHERS FOR WORSHIP.

AS WITH ALL MOSQUES, YOU PARK YOUR SHOES AT THE DOOR,

AND WOMEN COVER THEIR HEADS.

IF THEY DON'T HAVE A SCARF, THERE ARE LOANERS AT THE DOOR.

COUNTLESS BEAUTIFUL TILES FILL THE INTERIOR

WITH EXQUISITE FLORAL AND GEOMETRIC MOTIFS.

IT'S NICKNAMED THE BLUE MOSQUE BECAUSE OF ITS BLUE TILES.

BLUE IS A POPULAR COLOR IN TURKEY.

IT IMPRESSED EARLY FRENCH VISITORS ENOUGH

FOR THEM TO CALL IT "THE COLOR OF THE TURKS,"

OR TURQUOISE.

WHILE CHURCHES PORTRAY PEOPLE LIKE THIS,

MUSLIMS BELIEVE THE PORTRAYAL OF PEOPLE

IN PLACES OF WORSHIP DRAWS ATTENTION AWAY FROM

WORSHIPING ALLAH AS THE ONE GOD.

IN MOSQUES, RATHER THAN SAINTS

AND PROPHETS, YOU'LL SEE GEOMETRICAL DESIGNS

AND CALLIGRAPHY.

THIS EXPLAINS WHY, HISTORICALLY,

THE MUSLIM WORLD EXCELLED AT NON-FIGURATIVE ART

WHILE ARTISTS FROM CHRISTIAN EUROPE FOCUSED ON

PAINTING AND SCULPTURE OF THE HUMAN FORM.

ARTFUL ARABIC CALLIGRAPHY GENERALLY SHOWS

EXCERPTS FROM THE KORAN AND QUOTES FROM MOHAMMED.

AS A CHURCH WOULD HAVE JESUS AND GOD FRONT-AND-CENTER,

IN A MOSQUE, ELABORATE SIGNATURE MEDALLIONS

HIGH ABOVE THE PRAYER NICHE SAY "MOHAMMED" AND "ALLAH."

LARGE CEREMONIAL CANDLES FLANK THE MIHRAB.

THAT'S THE NICHE WHICH POINTS SOUTHEAST TO MECCA

IN SAUDI ARABIA, WHERE ALL MUSLIMS FACE

WHEN THEY WORSHIP.

SERVICES ARE SEGREGATED

BY GENDER -- THE MAIN HALL IS RESERVED

FOR MEN, WHILE THE WOMEN'S SECTION

IS IN THE BACK.

WHILE, TO SOME, IT'S DEMEANING TO MAKE WOMEN STAY IN BACK,

MUSLIMS SEE IT AS A PRACTICAL MATTER.

WOMEN WOULD RATHER HAVE THE OPTION OF PERFORMING

THE PHYSICAL ACT OF PRAYING IN PRIVATE.

Muezzin: ♪ ALLAH HU AKBAR ♪

♪ ALLAH HU AKBAR ♪

LIKE CHURCHES HAVE BELL TOWERS, MOSQUES HAVE MINARETS.

ACCORDING TO MUSLIM TRADITION, THE IMAM OR PRAYER LEADER

WOULD CLIMB TO THE TOP OF A MINARET

TO CALL THE FAITHFUL TO PRAYER.

♪ HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN... ♪

THESE DAYS, THE PRAYER LEADER

STILL PERFORMS A CALL TO PRAYER LIVE,

BUT IT'S AMPLIFIED BY LOUDSPEAKERS

AT THE TOP OF THE MINARETS.

[ MUEZZIN CALLING ]

♪ ALLAH HU AKBAR ♪

THE CALL IS ALWAYS THE SAME --

"ALLAH AKBAR," "GOD IS GREAT.

"WITNESS THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD, MOHAMMED IS HIS PROPHET.

"COME JOIN THE PRAYER.

COME JOIN THE SALVATION."

WHEN THIS HAPPENS, PRACTICING MUSLIMS

DROP INTO A MOSQUE, FACE MECCA, AND PRAY TO GOD.

[ MUEZZIN CALLING ]

THEN, AFTER A SHORT SERVICE PRAISING GOD,

WORKADAY LIFE RESUMES.

MODERN TURKISH CULTURE IS COMPLEX.

TO SORT IT OUT PROPERLY, I'M JOINED BY

MY TURKISH FRIEND LALE SURMEN ARAN,

WHO CO-AUTHORS MY ISTANBUL GUIDEBOOK.

SO WHAT DOES THE CALL TO PRAYER MEAN TO YOU?

SEE, IT'S A PERSONAL THING.

MOST OF THE PEOPLE YOU SEE HERE ARE PROBABLY MUSLIMS,

BUT TURKEY'S A SECULAR COUNTRY.

IT'S IN OUR CONSTITUTION.

BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, WE SAY THAT YOU NEVER KNOW

WHO HAS GOT THE MONEY OR THE FAITH.

THE REAL VIRTUE IS NOT TO SHOW IT OFF.

Steves: TURKS LOVE TO MEET

AND MINGLE AT ORTAKOY, JUST UNDER THE MASSIVE BRIDGE

THAT CONNECTED EUROPE WITH ASIA IN 1973.

THE TEMPO OF LIFE IN TURKEY, LIKE OTHER MEDITERRANEAN LANDS,

IS SLOW ENOUGH TO ENJOY THE MOMENT AND GOOD FRIENDS.

PEOPLE LOVE THEIR TEA,

THE SOUND OF DICE ON THE BACKGAMMON BOARD,

AND SUCKING ON THE HOOKAH, OR NARGHILE,

GENERALLY A TOBACCO-FREE

DRIED-FRUIT SMOKE.

THIS CITY, SO LAYERED WITH RICH HISTORY,

WAS OFFICIALLY NAMED ISTANBUL ONLY IN 1923

WITH THE FOUNDATION OF THE MODERN TURKISH REPUBLIC.

BEFORE THAT, IT WAS CALLED CONSTANTINOPLE.

OVER THE CENTURIES, THIS CITY HAS BEEN

THE CAPITAL OF TWO GRAND EMPIRES.

THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE STARTED IN THE 4th CENTURY

AND LASTED UNTIL THE 15th CENTURY.

THAT'S WHEN THE OTTOMANS TOOK OVER

AND RULED UNTIL THE END OF WORLD WAR I.

TODAY, EVEN THOUGH TURKEY IS GOVERNED FROM ANKARA,

ISTANBUL REMAINS THE FINANCIAL, CULTURAL,

AND HISTORIC CENTER OF THIS COUNTRY.

AS ANCIENT ROME WAS FALLING, EMPEROR CONSTANTINE

MOVED THE CAPITAL FROM THE WEST

HERE TO THE LESS CHAOTIC EAST IN AROUND 324 A.D.

IT WAS NAMED CONSTANTINOPLE IN HIS HONOR.

THEN, IN 476, ROME AND THE WESTERN EMPIRE

FELL TO INVADING BARBARIANS.

THAT LEFT CONSTANTINOPLE THE LEADING CITY

OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION.

TRACES OF THE ROMAN CAPITAL CAN STILL BE FOUND.

THIS SQUARE WAS A RACE TRACK, LIKE THE CIRCUS MAXIMUS IN ROME.

BUILT IN THE 4th CENTURY TO SEAT OVER 60,000 FANS,

THE HIPPODROME WAS CONSTANTINOPLE'S

PRIMARY VENUE FOR CHARIOT RACES.

ITS CENTERPIECE, THIS 3,500-YEAR-OLD

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN OBELISK, WAS ORIGINALLY CARVED

TO HONOR A PHARAOH.

IT WAS MOVED HERE TO ORNAMENT THE RACE TRACK

IN THE 4th CENTURY.

WHAT YOU SEE TODAY IS ONLY THE UPPER THIRD

OF THE ORIGINAL MASSIVE STONE TOWER.

WHILE YOU WON'T FIND ANY CHARIOT RACES THESE DAYS,

ISTANBUL REMAINS A CITY OF EXPERIENCES.

ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE IS ENJOYING A TURKISH BATH.

TODAY, BATHS WELCOME TOURISTS

AND GIVE A PEEK INTO A RICH TRADITION.

YOU LEAVE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING IN THE CHANGING ROOM.

SLIP UNGRACEFULLY INTO WOODEN SLIPPERS

AND SHUFFLE INTO THE STEAMY CALDARIUM.

TURKS BROUGHT THE STEAM BATH WITH THEM FROM CENTRAL ASIA,

BLENDED IT WITH THE ROMAN BATH CULTURE

THEY FOUND HERE, AND CREATED THE TURKISH BATH.

FIRST, YOU RELAX AT THE BASIN --

HEAT UP, SOFTEN UP UNDER A CASCADE OF HOT WATER.

SAVOR THE EXPERIENCE,

ACHIEVING MAXIMUM SWEATING AND RELAXATION.

THEN YOUR ATTENDANT WORKS YOU OVER,

SCRUBBING VIGOROUSLY WITH ROUGH

BRILLO PAD-TYPE MITTS,

THEN SUDSING AND WASHING.

REFRESHED AND CLEANER THAN YOU CAN REMEMBER EVER BEING,

YOU VENTURE BACK INTO THE CITY,