This is part 69 of the puzzle series Around the World in Many Days. Each part is solvable on its own.
Dear Puzzling,
Eleven clues in this crossword contain an extra word, which must be removed before solving. In each of these eleven clues, highlight one letter of the answer at the same position as the extra word. For example, if the extra word is the fourth word of the clue, highlight the fourth letter of the answer in the grid. The extra words themselves, read in clue order, spell out an instruction on how to read the final answer.
Today I have visited a city dating back thousands of years, located at the crossroads of strikingly different cultures. I have seen lavishly decorated mosques and mausoleums, shopped at some bustling bazaars and sampled a wide array of local foods. Can you guess where I am?
Love, Gladys.
Across
1. Whale, for one, called out (3)
5. Gladys ignored renowned trend (3)
8. Contemplated to get rid of millions? That's not new! (4)
11. Elementary rock? Not entirely (5)
12. Moment of start force and resistance included in misrepresented quote (6)
14. Turned mole cut from telephone lines – Cos, possibly (7)
15. A giant stop at sea (5)
16. Ephron who directed You've Got Top Mail wears a king's jacket (6)
18. Viswanathan Anand's game ends prematurely with the Queen getting trapped, leading to applause (6)
19. Dance in Vienna to follow left end of festivities, accompanied with a verse (6)
22. A lodge corner rebuilt in the golden years (3,3)
24. Touchy monarch harassed maids (5)
25. Simulated, at sea, feeding clock (7)
27. Dad trades a wise little Honda in for Tesla that's wider in the middle? (6)
28. Copy of American's last letter is the best, they say (5)
29. The old film directed by Steven Spielberg describes fling (4)
30. Little boy who grows up to be a big bad canid under the skin? (3)
31. Mo Farah ultimately gets dumped by the woman with degree (3)
Down
2. Maybe 2024 premiere wanting attention (3)
3. Sir Cuckoo, one close to VIPs, is one of the chosen people? (9)
4. Refused inwards or allowed through? (6)
5. Boring apartment – skipping (4)
6. Giant robot ultimately stopped, I'm sorry to say (5)
7. Sunflower State pet group responsible for Africa (4)
9. Every senator from Vermont, when presented with first pair of questions, spends excessively (9)
10. Consider filmmaker Spike initially made tenfold master (4)
13. T. K. Weill character nicknamed "the Knife" fails to close device running iOS (3)
17. Invader / baller most lately playing out of Nevada (6)
19. Predecessor to Roger, Timothy and others acquired slightly damaged vehicle (5)
20. Like hot catcher with a lot of balls (3)
21. A bit shaky, like the coast of Dover where chlorine has been extracted (4)
23. Nixon's VP loses primary in Georgia again (4)
24. Extra long kiss in May in Paris (4)
26. Filmmaker Spike dropping Kiwi in coffee (3)
Gladys will return in The Master Tetrist.
