Istanbul Terminals

via Flickr and sheltonjcksn

Once adored by glamorous rail travellers of Europe, the circa 1890 Sirkeci train terminal in Istanbul remains a sentinal of the golden age of rail service. The architecture is one of the the best examples of European Orientalism anywhere. Victorian rooflines and Ottoman arches blend seamlessly into the unique patterns of the city.

The terminal still connects Istanbul with the rest of Europe with lines running through either Thessaloniki or Bucharest. Though the famed Orient Express does not travel from Paris to Istanbul anymore, once a year romantics can ride the Venice Simplon luxury train service on some of the original cars, for a pricey $4,600 and change. (Agatha Christie can keep her secrets for that fare!) Tourists not riding the train are still welcome to visit the Sirkeci station to watch the whirling dervishes  perform, or to visit the popular Orient Express restaurant.
  

via wherist.com

Istanbul's other terminal, the Haydarpaşa Terminal is the on the Asian side of the city and it connects to points east. Built in 1909, the neo-renaissance style structure is a testament to strong German-Turkish relations. 

The impressive, gorgeous building is surounded on three sides by water so the best view of it is from the Kadikoy ferry. I''ll probably never forget the first time I saw it.
I could describe it to you some more, but Spritz on your Chanel No. 5 and pretend you're Audrey Tautou.  It's a much nicer experience:



Istanbul's Ottoman train stations may be lovely. However, most travel guides do not recommend using the Turkish rail system. I have to agree.

Related articles

• Luxury Train Travel From Paris to Istanbul Aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient Express (luxist.com)
• Feel the Magic of a Whirling Dervish Ceremony (mydestinationinfo.com)

• 67 World heritage sites threatened, including one in Turkey (hurriyetdailynews.com)