Turkey
It's actually harder than it would seem to get a Turkish shave in Istanbul. We asked a waiter who recommended us via letter to his mate who runs a very busy hair salon, under the Galata Bridge.
There is a central internal corridor under the bridge, which all of the outward facing restaurants and bars have entrances on to, on the Eminonou side. It's bright green and the staff all wear green and has no other signage. It's extremely cheap too and you get a great pampering shave for about £1!
Galata Bridge, Eminonu side,
Istanbul is choc full of exciting things to see but there is one spot that could easily be missed.
It’s the Yerebatan Saray Sarnici, one of the many cisterns the Byzantines built to make sure they had a plentiful supply of water. It's a vast underground space full of elaborate columns and arches, which are reflected in rippling water. Everything is bathed in coloured light and there is soft soothing music.
It's an eerily fascinating atmosphere. You climb the steps and you are suddenly in the bustling streets around the Topkapi Palace.
It’s a great place to go if the streets above are hot! Cool and peaceful.
www.yerebatansarnici.com
Sultanahmet Square at the northeastern end of the Hippodrome, just off Divan Yolu
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