Holiday Destination: Istanbul

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, forming the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. Straddling the Bosphorus one of the world's busiest waterways in northwestern Turkey, between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, Istanbul is a transcontinental city. Its commercial and historical center is situated in Europe, while one third of its population lives in Asia. Founded on the Sarayburnu around 660 BC as Byzantium, the city now known as Istanbul developed to become one of the most significant cities in history. Although the Republic of Turkey established its capital elsewhere, in Ankara, remnants of Istanbul's previous central role still remain highly visible across the city, with palaces and imperial mosques lining its hills. Istanbul's strategic position along the historic Silk Road, rail networks to Europe and the Middle East, and the only sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean have helped foster an eclectic populace, although less so since the establishment of the Republic. Overlooked for the new capital during the interwar period, the city has since regained much of its prominence. The population of the city has increased tenfold since the 1950s, as migrants from across Anatolia have flocked to the metropolis and city limits have expanded to accommodate them. Arts festivals were established at the end of the 20th century, while infrastructure improvements have produced a complex transportation network. Seven million foreign visitors arrived in Istanbul in 2010, when it was named a European Capital of Culture, making the city the world's tenth most popular tourist destination.

Climate

Summer 28.4 °C (83.1 °F), Winter 2.9 °C (37.2 °F)

Tourist Season

Summer Season is the best for visiting Istanbul.

Accommodation

Hotels.

General Information Of Istanbul

• Land Area: 2,063 sq mi (5,343 km2)
• Population: 1 Million.
• Capital City: Istanbul.
• Language: English.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Istanbul

Istanbul Archaeology Museums

The Istanbul Archaeology Museums is a group of three archeological museums located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapı Palace. In the 19th century efforts were in place to modernize the Ottoman Empire, as many of the leading statesmen were exposed to Westernizing ideas through education and travel. The proposal to have an imperial museum came about because of the familiarity of several key players in the Ottoman political scene with the Louvre in Paris. The decision to establish an imperial museum under the Education Ministry came in 1869 with the appointment of a new director, but the idea of a museum was dropped with his resignation and because of budget restraints.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the Greek Patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 29 May 1453 until 1931, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935. The Church was dedicated to the Logos, the second person of the Holy Trinity, its dedication feast taking place on 25 December, the anniversary of the Birth of the incarnation of the Logos in Christ. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have changed the history of architecture.

Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque, is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. It's name is derived from the blue tiles decorating its interior. Its grace and beautiful proportions were intended to reflect the splendour of Islam. It was the supreme Imperial Mosque of the Ottoman Empire. The Blue Mosque has also become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul.

The Galata Tower

The Galata Tower called Christea Turris the Tower of Christ in Latin by the Genoese is a medieval stone tower in the Galata district of Istanbul, Turkey, just to the north of the Golden Horn. One of the city's most striking landmarks, it is a high, cone capped cylinder that dominates the skyline and affords a panoramic vista of Old Istanbul and its environs. There is a restaurant and café on its upper floors which commands a magnificent view of Istanbul and the Bosphorus. Also located on the upper floors is a nightclub which hosts a Turkish show. There are two operating elevators that carry visitors from the lower level to the upper levels.

Underground Cistern

Underground Cistern this cistern is thought to have been built after the Nika revolt in 532 AD. It was known as the Basilica Cistern during the Roman period, as there was a Stoa Basilica above the pre existing one at the time. After the conquest of the city by the Ottoman Turks, it was forgotten of and nobody knew that it existed. Re discovered in 1545, it was used to water the gardens of Topkapi Palace. Today it has a rather eery and mystical ambiance. Clever spotlighting makes the water shimmer with coloured dancing lights and the water ripples from an occasional fish swishing its tail in exuberance.

Dolmabahçe Palace

Dolmabahçe Palace located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European coastline of the Bosphorus strait, served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1922, apart from a 22 year interval (1887–1909) in which Yıldız Palace was used. Dolmabahçe Palace was ordered by the Empire's 31st Sultan, Abdülmecid I, and built between the years 1843 and 1856. Hacı Said Ağa was responsible for the construction works, while the project was realized by architects Garabet Balyan, his son Nigoğayos Balyan and Evanis Kalfa members of the Balyan family of Ottoman court architects. The construction cost five million Ottoman mecidiye gold coins, the equivalent of 35 tonnes of gold.

İstiklal Avenue/Street

İstiklal Avenue or Istiklal Street is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, Turkey, visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day over the course of weekends. Located in the historic Beyoğlu district, it is an elegant pedestrian street, approximately 3 km long, which houses exquisite boutiques, music stores, bookstores, art galleries, cinemas, theaters, libraries, cafés, pubs, night clubs with live music, historical patisseries, chocolateries and restaurants. The avenue, surrounded by late Ottoman era buildings that were designed with the Neo Classical, Neo Gothic, Beaux Arts, Art Nouveau and First Turkish National Architecture styles as well as a few Art Deco style buildings from the early years of the Turkish Republic, and a number of more recent examples of modern architecture; starts from the medieval Genoese neighbourhood around Galata Tower and ultimately leads up to Taksim Square.

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. The Grand Bazaar is located inside the walled city of Istanbul, in the district of Fatih and in the neighborhood bearing the same name Kapalıçarşı. It stretches roughly from west to east between the mosques of Beyazit and of Nuruosmaniye. The building named alternately in Turkish Bedesten lies on the slope of the third hill of Istanbul, between the ancient Fora of Constantine and of Theodosius. It was also near the first Sultan's palace, the Old Palace, which was also in construction in those same years, and not far from the Artopoléiaquarter, a location already occupied in Byzantine times by the bakers.

Bosphorus Cruise

Every visitor to Istanbul wants to and should take a Bosphorus cruise day trip up the 32 km long strait which joins the Sea of Marmara to the south with the Black Sea to the north of Istanbul. Here's what you'll see on a Bosphorus cruise. Your cruise can take as little as 25 minutes, or a full day it may just be transport across the water, or may include sightseeing and lunch. Bosphorus Cruise is a must see tour for the Istanbul visitors because it is a wonderful opportunity to observe the both sides of Istanbul. There are municipal ferries which operate daily three times from Eminonu, port number 3. The ferry is a traditional one, which has seats inside and outside the interior.

Princes’ Islands

The Princes' Islands are a chain of nine islands off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey, in the Sea of Marmara. The islands also constitute the Adalar district of Istanbul Province. The mayor of the Adalar district is Mustafa Farsakoğlu. A quick 45 minute ferry ride and you’ll find yourself on the Princes’ Islands. Once a home for exiled Byzantine princes, today these islands are a getaway for Istanbul’s jetsetters. No motorised vehicles are allowed, so see the islands and their unique Victorian style mansions on horse drawn carriage. Fun for the kids too.

Accessibility

Bus Terminal in or Near by

Bus Terminal

Bayrampaşa Altıntepsi Mah.
Istanbul, Turkey

Dedeman Istanbul Hotel-Official

Esentepe Mh.
Yıldız Posta Caddesi 50
Istanbul, Turkey

Stop İETT Istanbul Hospital

Stop İETT Istanbul Hospital
Surgeon Pasa Mah.
Istanbul, Turkey

Airport

Atatürk Int'l Airport: For International and Domestic flights.

Sabiha Gökçen International Airport: For International flights.

Railway Stations

Haydarpasa Train Station

Karsisi Kadiköy scaffolds
Haydarpasa
Istanbul, Turkey