|
Istanbul historically Byzantium
and Constantinople; is the
largest city in Turkey, largest
city proper and second largest
metropolitan area in Europe, and
fourth largest city proper in
the world with a population of
12.6 million. Istanbul is also a
mega city, as well as the
cultural and financial center of
turkey. The city covers 27
districts of the Istanbul
province. It is located on the
Bosporus strait and encompasses
the natural harbor known as the
golden horn, in the northwest of
the country. It extends both on
the European (Thrace) and on the
Asian (Anatolia) sides of the
Bosporus, and is thereby the
only metropolis in the world
that is situated on two
continents.
In its long history, Istanbul
has served as the capital city
of the Roman Empire (330–395),
the (Byzantine) East Roman
Empire (395–1204 and 1261–1453),
the Latin Empire (1204–1261),
and the Ottoman Empire
(1453–1922). The city was chosen
as joint European Capital of
culture for 2010. The historic
areas of Istanbul were added to
the UNESCO world heritage list
in 1985.
Istanbul is an old city; you can
see the remains of many ancient
civilizations and their culture
in harmony with Turkish culture.
The old versus the new, the
traditional versus the modern is
a conflict a visitor often
observes. The city is full of
contrasts, and colorful views,
So enjoy
one of them:
The diverse ethnicity of the
city is another point which is
worth examining. The Minorities
sum up to a majority and build
up an enormous population. The
natives of the city are very
typical; you can easily identify
them from the look in their
eyes. Take a look at the good
old days. You may extend your
stay and request further
information about our tours to
highlights of Turkey from our
office in Istanbul Old city. |
