April 2013
Istanbul Film Festival (30 March to 14 April) is one of the biggest in Europe. Now in its 32nd year, it boasts around 600 screenings of more than 200 films. http://film.iksv.org/en

January 2013
From 16 January, Istanbul Modern, the city's premier gallery and exhibition space, hosts "Modernity? Perspectives from France and Turkey" (http://www.istanbulmodern.org).

April 2013
Sultan Ahmet Square was the centre of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Today its unmissable sights include portions of the Byzantine Royal Palace, the Byzantine cathedral of St Sophia and the Ottoman Topkapi Palace. Not to mention the famous Sultan Ahmet Blue Mosque, from which the square takes its name.

January 2013
Beat the cold weather with a trip to Istanbul's Roman spa resort, Termal. Regular sea buses connect Istanbul with Yalova from where it's a short minibus ride to Termal (ido.com.tr).