culture
Benaki Museum of Islamic Art
The glory of past and present Islamic Art is on full view at this excellent museum. This place is overflowing with tiles, bowls, finely detailed brass work, jewelry, ceramics, chess sets and textiles. Those with a particular interest in military objects should seek out the magnificent Iranian knives with their ornamented scabbards and the fascinating old Balkan firearms. On the third floor, don’t miss the enchanting room from an Ottoman seraglio or the cringe-inducing cabinet of old surgical instruments.  The only negative, it smells like a bored security guard (the building was almost empty when we were there) had been sneaking some smokes. But you can escape the odor by heading to the top floor coffee shop for a great cup of joe and some fabulous views.
51 countries - 350 spots