The Living in... series takes you on an armchair visit of the houses, gardens, museums and palaces of the world's most beautiful countries and cities. From Norway to Istanbul, from Portugal to London, discover the neglected treasures and hidden delights of regions which still harbor secrets to enchant even the most world-weary traveler. And for those inspired to visit, each volume includes an exclusive traveler's guide.

Travel books all urge the tourist in Istanbul to take a ferry ride up the Bosporus, the waterway dividing the European and Asian parts of the city. This beautiful book not only helps in identifying the palaces and villas that line the water but takes us inside them. Some well-known public buildings, such as Topkapi and the Dolmabahce Palace, are shown, but most interesting are the interiors of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century wooden villas that were originally built as summer getaways, often by Greeks, Russians, or Egyptians. Many of them have been lost to fire or development in recent years, but some are now restored and serve as year-round homes.

A stunning crystallization of a tradition that spans 10,000 years, the rise and fall of mighty empires, and influences from Africa to the Balkans, this volume combines a comfortably erudite text with 300 color illustrations to reveal the interiors and exteriors of Turkish houses throughout the country's regions as well as in Istanbul. 10.25x11.25". Distributed in the US and Canada by Rizzoli. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.