European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Above a mosaic of Christ inside St. Sophia formerly a Christian Church. At left the Interior of the vast Sultan Ahmet mosque known As the Blue mosque because of its colourful tiles. French women received i replaced arabic St Ripe with the latin alphabet and outlawed the Fez in favor of Western headgear local women Are still restricted by ancient customs especially in the country but female tourists virtually never encounter problems. Despite its growing sophistication and Many attractions Turkey still is not for everyone tourist information is at a minimum English is spoken widely but not always Well. Power failures c .111 Darken a Hilton As Well As a Hostel and Public toilets nationwide usually Are merely holes in the floor. Whatever its drawbacks however Turkey offers a banquet of experiences for travellers who prefer to savor a place before it has been  Many villages along the stretch of Aegean and Mediterranean known As the turkish Riviera Are already popular with the International yacht set and new resorts Are sprouting rapidly. The Best place to capture the essence of 1 Turkey is not the capital Ankara but soulful Istanbul the1 Only major City to Bridge two continents. With a Short ferry or cab ride a visitor can get a glimpse of both. The logistics first seem complicated Bec Ause of Istanbul s several Waterways but a ferry ride is a perfect Way to get your bearings. Docks crowd the european waterfront on both sides of Busy Galata Bridge its lower level lined with restaurants and vendors. The Bridge which floats on pontoons spans the Golden Horn where it flows into the mile wide bosporus near its juncture with the sea of Marmara. The North or Quot new Quot Side of the Bridge is Istanbul s main hotel and shopping area on the South Side in Quot old Stamboul Quot Are the major museums. Hop aboard one of the commuter ferries that continually Zigzag the bosporus linking the downtown area with the residential suburbs on both the european and asian sides. For a 2 scent continued on Page to at left evening visitors stroll past the seafood restaurants that fill the Kum Kapi District