"There, God and human, nature and art are together, they have
created such a perfect place that it is valuable to see." Lamartine’s
famous poetic line reveals his love for Istanbul, describing the
embracing of two continents, with one arm reaching out to Asia and
the other to Europe.
Istanbul, once known as the capital of capital cities, has many
unique features. It is the only city in the world to straddle two
continents, and the only one to have been a capital during two consecutive
empires - Christian and Islamic. Once capital of the Ottoman Empire,
Istanbul still remains the commercial, historical and cultural pulse
of Turkey, and its beauty lies in its ability to embrace its contradictions.
Ancient and modern, religious and secular, Asia and Europe, mystical
and earthly all co-exist here.
Its variety is one of Istanbul’s greatest attractions: The ancient
mosques, palaces, museums and bazaars reflect its diverse history.
The thriving shopping area of Taksim buzzes with life and entertainment.
And the serene beauty of the Bosphorus, Princes Islands and parks
bring a touch of peace to the otherwise chaotic metropolis.
Istanbul is the only city in the world built on two continents.
Its fate has been determined by its vital strategic location and
enchanted natural beauty. It has long been coveted by powerful empires,
and served as capital first to Byzantium and then to the Ottoman
Empire.
Istanbul stretches along the two shores of the Bosphorus that links
the Sea of Marmara in the South with the Black Sea in the North.
It is Turkey's largest city with a population of approximately 12
million.
Istanbul is also at the heart of the economy of Turkey. The largest
companies and banks, the main national newspapers, television networks
and advertising agencies all have their headquarters in the city.
Istanbul is also the capital of art and culture with a rich tradition
in opera and ballet, theater performing Turkish and foreign plays,
concerts, art exhibition, festivals, auctions, conferences and of
course unique museums. The city also boasts the country's largest
and finest universities. As an imperial capital for 1500 years,
Istanbul has acquired a highly original personality. At every turn
in the city you are faced with Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman palaces,
mosques, churches, monasteries, monuments, walls and ruins. Yet
Istanbul is not a city living only in its past. It is a vibrant,
modern and future-oriented metropolis. Bazaars and ultra-modern
supermarkets and department stores, street vendors and stock-brokers,
old crumbling buildings and skyscrapers, horse-drawn carts and sumptuous
limousines coexist and this amalgam gives the city a multifaceted
outlook and flavor. Istanbul is like an intricately woven carpet,
a subtle blend of eastern and western cultures.
Shopping
Istanbul is a shopper's paradise catering to all kinds of customers.
From covered bazaars and workshops continuing ancient traditions,
to shopping plazas and deportment stores, Istanbul offers a wide
variety of shopping opportunities. A visit to the Grand Bazaar is
an experience rich in original Turkish carpets and gold and silver
works. In the Egyptian Market, behind the large mosque at Eminönü
square, you can find an exotic and mysterious atmosphere, infused
with the smell of aromatic spices and herbs. In the row of shops
around Sultanahmet Mosque, you can buy traditional Turkish handicrafts,
while the shops in the museums offer souvenirs with which to remember
your encounter with Turkey's history.
Daily Life
In a city encompassing 3500 square kilometers, and with a population
of 12 million, life is obviously constantly animated and hectic.
With millions of people immigrating from all corners of Anatolia
over the past 30 years, Istanbul has become a microcosm of Turkey.
All of the various traditions, cultures, cuisines and folklore of
Anatolia can be found here. The streets are always crowded, and
the buses, trains and boats shuttling between the two shores of
the Bosphorus ant the Sea of Marmara are constantly full to capacity.
Nevertheless, the residents of Istanbul love their city, a city
which has so much to offer. As soon as spring arrives, the sidewalk
cafes, open air restaurants and fish places along the sea come to
life. An unforgettable experience is contemplating the sun setting
majestically in an explosion of color against the background of
the Istanbul skyline and the silhouettes of monumental masques.
Istanbul has a very active night life. The bars, pubs, night clubs
and discotheques are plentiful and there are countless restaurants
offering Turkish cuisine with all its local varieties, not to mention
Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese and Lebanese restaurants. But
the specialty are the "meyhanes", literally meaning wine
houses, where the main drink served is not so much the wine, but
the "raki", an alcoholic beverage made of grapes and anise.
The tradition of the "meyhanes" goes back to Byzantium,
and they still flourish today. One of the greatest pleasures of
Istanbul is to go to these places, to drink, to eat the various
hors d'oeuvres and to listen to the strolling musicians. Istanbul
is a fascinating, mysterious, captivating, sometimes exasperating
but always stimulating city.
