«Skyfall» (2012) opens with a chase over the Grand Bazaar; «From Russia with Love» (1963) already filmed Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern. Istanbul was born for the screen.
Istanbul is the only city straddling two continents: you can have lunch in Europe and dinner in Asia by crossing the Bosphorus.
Quiet spot: the colorful lanes of Balat, then a public ferry across the Bosphorus at sunset. With a data eSIM, transit apps replace haggling and you sidestep taxis that pad the fare.