Istanbul, the city of Ottoman opulence (and hair transplants)
It’s the largest city in Europe, spans two continents, has been the capital of three mighty empires – Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman – and is visited each year by some 20 million tourists. These days – and I’m only guessing here based on the scores of battered, bloodied and bandaged scalps I spotted – it’s also the hair transplant capital of the world. Little wonder so many choose to come here for their cosmetic ‘enhancements’ (or ‘maimings’ depending on your view): if there’s one city that understands reinvention, it’s this one. I’m talking, of course, of Istanbul where continents and cultures, Christianity and Islam collide. To my shame, I’d never been before but, crikey, I loved it.
