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[miloclawdia]

I'm going to be in Istanbul in October recruiting students at a student fair.  It's only two days...takes place in the Istanbul Hilton which runs about $380/night. Only one other hotel was recommended (Green Park Hotel) Any other ideas for hotels nearby to this Hilton?  Also, if you only had an additional day and a half, any recommendations for sites to see?

[regular_joe]

See the usual sites: Aya Sofia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar. Just those few things will easily consume a day and a half.

Turkish bath in Cagaloglu.

Eat as much of the wonderful food as you can. The wiki Turkish cuisine site is just a start: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_cuisine   
Baked rice pudding in Özsüt. 'Nuff said.

If you had time, a cruise up the Bosphorus would be the ticket.

[expatinuk]

I go to Istanbul a lot for Biz. You can get a much cheaper hotel in the tourist district (Sultanahmet). All the attractions that you'd want to see are in Sultanahmet. I usually stay at the Ambassador Hotel. It's about 4Km from the Ambassador to the Hilton.

I usually spend WAY too much money at the Grand Bazzar... but I do have some lovely jewelry.

[avatara]

I second the suggestion to stay in Sultanahmet, and also suggest visits to the Suleymaniye Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. Enjoy your trip!

[regular_joe]

Oh, I neglected to mention that I also stayed in Sultanahmet and thought the hotel was decent (and of course I loved the location). The hotel was the Ipek Palas. And the huge breakfast buffet every morning in their restaurant with a view of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus was a plus.

[aandsdean]

I second the suggestion to stay in Sultanahmet, and also suggest visits to the Suleymaniye Mosque and the Basilica Cistern. Enjoy your trip!

I was in Istanbul last month and the Suleimaniye Camii is currently closed for renovation--or if not closed, severely covered by scaffolding and stuff in such a way as to reduce the pleasure of seeing it considerably.  (I walked by but didn't try to go in--been there before several times.)

[normative_]

Go have drinks or dinner on the top floor of the Intercontinental on Taxim Square, at night. The bar has a great view of the more modern city. The restaurant has a great view of the Asian side and the old European neighbourhoods.