S16·E6 Istanbul, along the Bosphorus

Here is a city… unlike any other. And for good reason: it straddles two continents! Europe on one side, Asia on the other, and in between… flows the Bosphorus. It is a bustling, vibrant global metropolis that Philippe Gougler sets out to explore by rail. His journey begins with the historic T2 tram—heading to Taksim Square, the beating heart of Istanbul—and the tiny F2 funicular, one of the smallest in the world, which climbs one of the city’s many hills in just two minutes flat. This rail network allows Philippe to traverse Istanbul, discover the amazing "rope-poured" tea technique and the practice of ear-cleaning with fire, and reach the sprawling Grand Bazaar, home to carpet sellers who are masters at backgammon. Not to mention the YHT—Turkey’s high-speed train—which Philippe boards to travel to the major city of Konya in the southeast, the birthplace of the famous Whirling Dervishes and their hypnotic dance.