"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.