Your Classical Companion
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Istanbul: Capital of Emperors and Sultans

Season 13 Episode 1308 | 25m 34s

Istanbul's rich heritage spans the centuries from Christian Byzantium to Muslim Ottoman rule to today's thriving city. We start our look back at the Roman-tinged Hippodrome, then indulge in the ancient ritual of the Turkish bath. We take in the Blue Mosque and the grand Hagia Sophia, taste Turkish delight at the venerable Spice Market, and explore Topkapı Palace and its harem room deep within.

Aired: 11/18/25 | Expires: 01/18/26
Distributed nationally by American Public Television
Extras
Animal parents must overcome freshwater’s constant changes.
Animal parents must balance risk and reward to raise their young in grasslands.
Appraisal: Delta & Eastern Flight Attendent Uniforms
Appraisal: Jessie Arms Botke Oil Painting, ca. 1940
Appraisal: Dale Nichols Group, ca. 1950
Appraisal: 1949 Babe Didrikson Zaharias-signed Ball
Appraisal: 1978 Joichi Hoshi Autumn Light Woodblock
Appraisal: Autograph Book, ca. 1900
Appraisal: 19th C. Jim Williams-owned Federal Hunt Board
Appraisal: Davis Pennington Brown Stoneware Face Jug, ca. 1917
Latest Episodes
All
  • All
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 13
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 12
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 11
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 10
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 9
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 8
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 7
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 6
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 5
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 4
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 3
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 2
  • Rick Steves' Europe Season 1
Hyde Park; V&A Museum; trendy East End; afternoon tea; revitalized industrial zones.
Buckingham Palace; Parliament and Churchill War Rooms; Portrait Gallery; Tower of London.
Highlights of Paris: Eiffel Tower; Seine cruise; neighborhood markets, a nighttime joyride.
Rivers and canals of France’s Burgundy region; gourmet meals; fine wine, natural beauty.
Seductive Venice; cultured Florence; charming hill towns; eternal Rome; Naples; Sicily.
Warsaw's heavy history and lively bustle; red-brick Toruń; Malbork Castle; maritime Gdańsk.
Kraków's grand square, Wawel Castle, communist-era Nowa Huta; sobering Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The ultimate road trip; Lake Mývatn; Eastfjords; lagoons and waterfalls; Westman Islands.
The vibrant capital; Blue Lagoon; Golden Circle's majestic nature; Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Bosphorus cruise; Grand Bazaar; Golden Horn; Whirling Dervishes; Taksim Square.