Whether you are returning to Istanbul for another ladleful of its melting pot culture or you are planning a much-anticipated first taste, this week's stories on Istanbul will tell you what you want to know to enjoy the city to its fullest.

BBC: This is Istanbul week

The humble dish of hummus represents, quite literally, the melting pot of Israeli culture.

BBC: Hunting for hummus in Israel

London's not only where political power is wielded, but it's where cultural power is focused too - as a melting pot of cultural ideas and identities and at the business end of culture, from publishing to West End theatre to the BBC London headquarters.

BBC: Is London good or bad for Scotland?

In addition, the American culture that they package seems to have a universal appeal that may have something to do with America's melting pot or simply with Hollywood's commercial cunning.

ECONOMIST: A world view | The