258+
Museums
16M+
Visitors
38
Churches
3365
Mosques
22
Synagogues
The city stretching between the continents; the city hosted the empires, emperors, and sultans; the city always nominee to be the world’s capital city. They call it chaos; we call it home…
Istanbul once was the three empires’ capital city; the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. The city 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 the Ottoman Empire’s capital, Istanbul still possesses the commercial, historical and cultural center 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 Ottoman mosques, palaces, museums, and bazaars reflect its diverse history.
The most popular 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 largest city in Turkey, forming its economic, cultural, and historical heart.
The population is always growing; the city is at the center of the second-largest urban area in Europe and among the world’s largest cities by population within city limits.
READY TO EXPLORE?
I can tell you in one word that it is a perfect structure. If you go to Istanbul, you definitely have to visit. The original name is Sultanahmet mosque; however, foreigners are given the name as blue mosque due to blue inner decorations. It is about 400 years old monument. Must see in Istanbul!
Museum, Byzantine church or mosque, Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) is worth a visit!
I first saw it when I was very young when it was a museum. I’ve seen it countless times since then, and I experienced the same emotion every time. What wonderful architecture! One of the few remnants of the last classical civilization… The Romans, either from the West or from the East, knew how to build! Byzantium will remain in history, and the collective memory, as one of the greatest civilizations that the world has ever seen. Too bad that no more monumental buildings from the Byzantine period have been preserved.
Bosphorus has amazing views and highlights. Enjoy your coffee/lunch/dinner with the peaceful sound of water smell the pure air. For some reason, this place was cooler than the Istanbul city wind was cold here. Great place to visit and take pictures. Highly recommended.
The Golden Horn(in Turkish Halic) divides two European parts as Old city and the New City. It’s a sea inlet of the Bosphorus strait stretching inland westwards, viewing Old City walls till the Topkapi palace.
There are many attractions along with it, starting from the Galata bridge and Eminonu area all the way to the Balat district. Suggested to climb the Pierre loti hill via a cable car that best views almost the entire inlet area from the Pierre Loti hill.
The Camlica hill is the best viewpoint in Istanbul; located on the Asian side, view amazing view of all European and Asian sides. As from here, you see almost the entire Bosphorus strait, as well as the whole city. It’s a favorite local picnic spot for locals, a wedding place with an open-air restaurant and a famous Turkish Gozleme (Turkish pastry) eatery. Don’t forget your camera to take a million pictures.
enEnglishEnglishenEnglishEnglish
arArabicالعربية
zhChinese中文
daDanishDansk
nlDutchNederlands
skSlovakSlovenská
fiFinnishSuomi
frFrenchFrançais
deGermanDeutsch
elGreekΕλληνική
hiHindiहिंदी
huHungarianMagyar
idIndonesianIndonesia
itItalianItaliano
jaJapanese日本語
koKorean한국어
plPolishPolski
ptPortuguesePortuguês
ruRussianРусский
esSpanishEspañol
svSwedishSwedish
trTurkishTürkçe
ukUkrainianУкраїнський
viVietnameseViệt