What's Old Is New Again

Napoleon once remarked that if the world were a single state, Istanbul would be its rightful capital. The Turkish city's fortunes have risen and fallen on the tides of empire, being last demoted when Ankara became the capital of the newly founded republic in 1923. But 2,700-year-old Istanbul is used to comebacks, and today the city is enjoying a massive revival, thanks to a deft mix of old and new. Driving toward the city center from the new airport, you pass through 5th century walls built by Emperor Theodosius II. Downtown, Roman, Byzantine and Otto-man ruins jostle next to trendy clubs...