Istanbul was the most touristed city in the world in 2023, attracting 20.2 million international visitors, but this is a view of the metropolis still only a select number have seen.

In Istanbul, a center of culture, commerce and power for more than 2,000 years, the past never feels distant. Yet contemporary culture thrives here.

KENYON: The most popular place to find it in Istanbul is called Vefa, where, in the past, you could see lines going out the door and down the block. But 51-year-old Ibrahim, working the cash ...