Travel Eye on Istanbul (Turkey)

Write a review or view peoples experiences in Istanbul.	Vacation Rentals & Holiday Rentals in Istanbul and surrounding area.	Hotels in Istanbul.	Flights	Car Hire/Rental	Tickets & Attractions in Istanbul

Overview:

The splendid city of Istanbul has many unique and fascinating features. It is the only city in the world reaching across two continents, with its old city in Europe and modern Istanbul situated in Asia, separated by the Bosphorous Strait. It is also unique in having had capital status during two successive empires, Christian Byzantine and Islamic Ottoman, and the legacy from both is visible in the modern city today.

Istanbul's location on the water made it a much coveted site as a commercial shipping port and military lookout, and as capital of the Roman Empire, Constantinople, as it was known, became extremely desirable as a centre of world trade, until Mehmet the Conqueror claimed it for the Ottoman Empire in 1453 and it became the imperial seat of the sultans. After the War of Independence the capital was moved to Ankara, but Istanbul still remains the commercial, historical and cultural heart of Turkey today.

The charm and character of Istanbul lies in its endless variety and jumble of contradictions. Its fascinating history has bequeathed the city a vivid inheritance of Byzantine ruins, splendid palaces, ancient mosques and churches, hamams (bath-houses) and exotic bazaars. Modern Istanbul exudes trendy bars and nightclubs, western boutiques, office blocks, and elegant suburbs. The call to prayer heralds the start of each day and the city comes to life with over 12,000 residents forming a chaotic social and cultural mix of unscrupulous carpet merchants, wealthy shoppers, religiously veiled women and destitute beggars. Joining the noisy throng are over-awed tourists and those capitalising on the tourist trade.

The crossroads of two mighty continents where three successive empires - Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman - had their capital, Istanbul is blessed with a wonderful architectural heritage, its skyline a dazzling mix of mosques, churches, synagogues and palaces.

Despite its aged appearance, however, this is a cosmopolitan metropolis, not a museum-city. Istanbul is Turkey's economic powerhouse - where modern shopping malls, hotels and restaurants thrive alongside the relics of 2000 years of history.

Istanbul's climate is, in the main, a Mediterranean one, although it is affected by climatic variations due to its location on the Marmara Sea and Bosporus. Summers are hot and winters are mild, with no extreme temperature variations between seasons.

Locality:

Istanbul can be found in north west Turkey, on a coatal plain to the Marmara Sea.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

The sheer number of inhabitants is what gives Istanbul its great vitality and has helped foster a thriving arts scene and café culture.

As a sightseer, you'll probably spend most of your time in the Old Town or 'Stamboul' on the European side - separated from the rest of the city by a freshwater estuary known as the Golden Horn. This is the site of old Byzantium and Constantinople and, as a consequence, it's where you'll find the city's greatest architectural treasures including the 6th century Aya Sofya church, the Blue Mosque, the vast Topkapi Palace and the medieval Grand Bazaar, not to mention dozens of museums.

This is an area best explored on foot, with detours down the narrow atmospheric streets, taking time for a little refreshment at one of its innumerable outdoor coffee houses.

There's a lot more to Istanbul, however, than just ancient sites. To see the modern city at its most vibrant, cross the Galata Bridge to the 'New City' of Beyoglu and Taksim, home to all the latest and most happening restaurants and clubs, where the shopping and nightlife rival anything in the rest of Europe. The surrounding residential and industrial suburbs have less to offer the holiday-maker, but do make time for a boat trip up the Bosphorus. It's only from the water that you can truly appreciate the vastness and variety of this incredible city.