Turkish tourism office (marked by "i" sign and easily found at major attraction areas) can give you the best, unbiased recommendations when it comes to nearby restaurants, things to see, and how to get there, etc. Often hotel people want to recommend certain guided tours or restaurants, but if you have a specific thing you want to see or do, skip the hotel's adivice and go to one of the government-run tourism office.
For example, if you tell your hotel people that you want to "visit" the European Fortress, most likely they would recommend taking a Bosphorus boat tour from a company they know. Such boat tour would give one a chance to enjoy the fortress scenery from a far way distance and would be fine for most tourists and especially older people, but it would not get you enjoy walking on the Fortress. Instead, go to one of the Turkish government-run tourism office and ask for directions. From Hagia Sophia area, the European Fortress can be visited by taking a tram and bus (total less than 5 Lira a person), within 1 hour time. The tourism office can also give you a free map.
The same goes with restaurant recommendation. Hotels tend to recommend the ones that they have some kick-back relationship. If you go to a fish restaurant, be aware that they might try to push you to buy into an expensive package deal meal by saying this would be much value, etc. Order only what you want. Also, ask for a written price sheet before ordering and avoid the restaurants that do not have a typed price list.
Scams
Euro coins to notes (May 08)
The postcard sellers will try this scam: They will ask if you can change some euro coins to a note (10 or 20 euro). He will show you the coins, and count out loud, the exacte amount, close his hand, and give the coins to you. He will try to distract you by giving/offer a postcard, which he will try to make you take with the same hand as you have the coins in (so you cant count them). He has only given you about half of the coins.
The Old Shoe-Brush Drop
This is no doubt a very old scam with many variations. It goes like this. You are following a shoeshine guy, and he seems to accidentally drop his brush. Naturally, this being your chance to do a favor for a poor hard working fellow, you pick up the brush and catch up to him. The guy thanks you effusively and then breaks out his kit, saying "don;t worry about the shine, you are a good man/woman." then he tells you all about his kids in Ankara. Afterward, your good feeling of helping your fellow man now primed, you decide to pay him anyway. Your smallest bill is a 10, but you ask for 5 in change and all of the sudden he has your 10 YTL note and his english becomes very ba. Confusion ensues, and it all bois down to 'What the heck." Not the worst possible thing that could happen, but needless to say, this traveller did not respond to the next two shoeshine guys who dropped their brush!
