Istanbul - The Orient, Express Trip

The heritage buff can never have enough of Istanbul, not with the sort of rich and layered history it has. Amit Dixit does a quick tour

- Amit Dixit

The Turkish Airlines flight into Istanbul’s spanking new airport was pure pampering. We were plied with gourmet food prepared by an on-board chef, the crew made our beds, and there were cushioned slippers—of the kind guests are welcomed within the homes of their hosts in Anatolia—to shuffle about in.

The new airport has only one terminal building currently. At 15 million square feet, it’s the largest such in the world. To be developed in four phases, when the airport is completed in 2027, it will have six runways, a capacity of 200 million passengers and as many as four terminal buildings. While the terminal building draws elements from the domes of mosques and baths typical of Ottoman architecture, the air traffic control tower has been inspired by the tulip, a flower that originated in Turkey.