Istanbul is a survivor of three great empires – the Roman, the Byzantine, and the Ottoman. It was known once as Byzantium, then as Constantinople, the “new Rome”. The city abounds in frescoed churches, magnificent mosques, and imperial palaces. But since it is accustomed to moving with the times, Istanbul is busy these days reinventing itself as a contemporary cultural destination. Wallpaper magazine, the hipster’s bible, recently named the 1,500-year-old megacity its Design City of the Year.

Istanbul was until recently regarded – and is regarded still by many in Europe – as part of an unimaginable Asian or Middle Eastern hinterland. Yet this vast city – with a population of nearly 15m, making it by far the largest in Europe – is very much part of the European scene, musically, artistically and culturally.