For the first time, I have enjoyed Istanbul at rest

As a coronavirus curfew falls over the city, Borzou Daragahi takes a sunset stroll

The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge over the Bosphorus Strait yesterday - even the stray animals appear to be waiting for the humans to return (AP)

It was the first weekend of an all-encompassing curfew hastily imposed upon Turkey’s most populous provinces to halt the spread of coronavirus. No one was allowed to leave their homes; even grocery stores were ordered closed.

A smattering of journalists were allowed to document the shutdown. I donned a surgical mask and ventured out.

Streets and pavements normally filled with commuters, tourists and shoppers were empty but for a few police officers. Select bakeries and pharmacies were supposed to be open, but during my two-and-a-half-hour sunset walk through central Istanbul, I found neither catering to customers.