Secret Istanbul Emre Öktem

A horse's tomb that has become a place of pilgrimage; a tree supported by a pillar in the garden of a Sufi convent that would herald the end of the world if it fell down; a carpet that predicts the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk; fragments from the Black Stone of Mecca; a church under the protection of the Prophet Muhammad; a garment worn by the Prophet that was inadvertently ironed; a handful of hot ash that saved the Ottoman empire . . .

Far from the crowds and the usual clichés, Istanbul is a reserve of well-concealed treasures, revealed only to those residents or visitors prepared to wander off the beaten track.

An indispensable guide for those who think they know Istanbul well and those who would like to discover the hidden face of lhe city.