The famous PBS travel show host has a great agenda for his 25 minute episode of Istanbul: “We’ll lose our way in the Grand Bazaar and munch our way through the famously fragrant Spice Market. We’ll follow the fall of the ancient capital of Byzantium and the rise of Islam at the city’s ancient wall, and wander among the treasures of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapı Palace. To escape the city bustle, we’ll cruise the churning waters of the Bosphorus, make friends over backgammon, and try a traditional Turkish bath.”

While we’re with him, we may as well follow him along to Central Turkey and learn about general precepts of Islam in another episode. For that matter, he also has two more episodes: Eastern Turkey and Western Turkey. Each episode does not entirely cater to our class’s purview, it has a least a little something to enhance our understanding of our studies.

Happy “travels”!