The great crossroads, Istanbul has absorbed several millennia of different influences; it is both modern and ancient, fluid and constant. Standing at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Istanbul is a tapestry of the different cultures and ideas that have shaped it over time. It has seen merchants, travelers, different religions, and politics all stamp their mark. Richard Tillinghast has watched the city evolve and he beautifully evokes its many distinct neighborhoods. Richard Tillinghast is the author of Finding Ireland: A Poet's Explorations of Irish Literature and Culture (2009).