Ancient sport sites

Discover the sites that have stood the test of time during the ancient city’s long, turbulent history

This month we’re heading back to the Levant region of West Asia – specifically, Lebanon. This is an ancient region, with cities dating back to 8800 BC and evidence of habitation for over 14,000 years.

Danish archæologists have uncovered a 4,000-year-old circle of wooden piles that they say could be linked to Stonehenge in Britain. The 45 Neolithic-era wooden pieces, in a circle with a diameter of a

This week’s dream: the Waldorf Astoria glitters again ...

Stretching across two continents separated by the Bosphorus Strait, this ancient Silk Road city was once the capital of both the Christian Byzantine and Islamic Ottoman empires. Crumbling hammams rub shoulders with striking contemporary buildings, while the call to prayer from Hagia Sophia mosque can be heard from the 15th-century Grand Bazaar, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants. Istanbul is sewn together by a series of storied districts, which results in a varied hotel scene. Relive the Ottoman heyday in a Sultanahmet townhouse; book a boutique stay fuelled by cafes and galleries in Karaköy; or check in among the designer stores of Nişantaşı.

In the Basilica Cistern deep beneath the streets of Istanbul lie mysterious statues of the monstrous gorgon