Istanbul, Turkey

One part of Istanbul lies in Europe, and the other lies in Asia. The Bosphorus strait, a 31-km-long canal, divides Istanbul into its European and Asiatic halves.

Bridging Continents, Cultures, and Time

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey. It is also the country’s economic, cultural, and historic center. The town is on both the European and Asian sides of the Bosporus Strait. It is home to more than 15 million people. Istanbul is the 15th largest city in the world and has the most people in Europe. In 2018, more than 13.4 million people outside Turkey visited Istanbul. This made it the eighth most visited city in the world, eight years after it was named the Capital of Culture. There are a few UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Istan, and Turkish company buildings comprise more than 30% of the country’s economy.

Istanbul History

BC In the 7th century, Greeks from Megara started living in the area and called it Byzantium. In 330 AD, Constantine the Great, the Roman emperor, made it his capital. At first, he called it “New Rome.” and later – Constantinople. The city became increasingly important until it became a landmark on the Silk Road and one of the most important cities in history. Constantinople was the capital of the empire for almost 1600 years.

During the Roman and Byzantine times, the town was a vital part of the growth of Christianity. Four of the first seven Christian churches were built there. After Constantinople fell in 1453, the city became a stronghold for Muslims. After the Turkish War of Independence ended in 1923, Ankara became the new Turkish capital. This was because Ankara had become the seat of the Ottoman Caliphate. The city’s official name was changed to Istanbul in 1930.

History of Istambul

How To Get Into Istanbul

By plane

Near Istanbul, there are two airports. Sabiha Gokcen Airport or Istanbul New Airport. Both airports have many international and domestic flights from Russia. There is no real reason to fly one over the other. You can go anywhere that costs less than flying. Or, it will be easier to fly at departure and arrival times, but the new airport will still be faster and cheaper.

By bus

With a few rare exceptions, you can take a bus to Istanbul from any of Turkey’s major cities and Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia. Most buses are OK; you can; you on some of them. Buses between cities don’t have bathrooms, but they stop for breaks. In the city, there are two bus stops. The main Istanbul Autogar is the most exciting place for tourists because it is where most local and international long-distance buses go.

By car

Driving via Georgia to get to Istanbul from Russia or other countries will cost more than a flight. You will need insurance for a voyage via Georgia and a tour through Turkey. Toll highways, bridges, and tunnels will all require payment. Also, gasoline costs more in Turkey than it does in Russia. Even if you bring your car to Istanbul, you will need help to get around quickly. It would be best to leave it in the parking lot and use public transportation or rent a car to get to the airport and pick it up.

Istanbul Climate

Under both the humid subtropical and oceanic climates, Istanbul has a climate close to the Mediterranean. Depending on where you are, it has cool winters with lots of rain and moderately dry summers with hot Augusts. Spring is usually mild, but the weather can change depending on how the wind blows. Under both the humid subtropical and oceanic climates, Istanbul has a climate close to the Mediterranean.

Most of the time, the temperature in Istanbul is between 5 °C (23 °F) and 32 °C (90 °F),[96] and most parts of the city never get above 30 °C (86 °F). In the temperate northern hemisphere, Istanbul is one of the few places where March is usually colder than December. From mid-April to June and September to October are the best times to visit Istanbul.

Top Sights In Istanbul

Istanbul Sultanahmet Square

As the city’s historical center, Sultanahmet Square puts you in the middle of the most famous and historically significant places in Istanbul. The garden has obelisks and fountains, and the square has what’s left of an old hippodrome. From here, it’s easy to get to two of the city’s most famous places to the north and south. They are the Hagia Sophia and the Sultanahmet Mosque, also called the Blue Mosque.

Istanbul Sultanahmet Square

The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque of Istanbul is an old imperial mosque from the time of the Ottomans. It is in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built between 1609 and 1616 and is home to Ahmed’s tomb, a madrasah, and a guesthouse. The inside walls of the mosque are covered with hand-painted blue tiles, and at night, the mosque glows blue as light frames its five main domes, six minarets, and eight secondary domes. Under the name “Historic Areas of Istanbul,” the Blue Mosque was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

The Blue Mosque

Istanbul Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is a mosque and one of Istanbul, Turkey’s most important cultural and historical sites. Before 1935, it was a mosque. Then it became a museum. In 2020, it was turned back into a mosque. It was initially called the Church of the Holy Wisdom. When it was finished, it was the largest room inside in the world and one of the first to use a dome all the way around. People say it is the best example of Byzantine architecture and “changed the history of architecture.”

Istanbul Hagia Sophia

Istanbul Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the world’s largest and oldest covered markets, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 m², attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it was listed as No.1 among the world’s most-visited tourist attractions, with 91,250,000 annual visitors. The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls in the world.

Istanbul Galata Tower

Galata Tower is a historical landmark where you can see a fascinating piece of history and a beautiful view of the city’s sights. It stands 67 meters tall and used to be the tallest building in the whole town. In addition to the incredible views from the observation balcony at the top, you can see historical items on display when you go. When you go to Galata Tower, you’ll find something interesting, especially if it’s one of the first places you see in the city.

Views from here are a great way to get a feel for the city laid out before you explore further. Most people spend about an hour looking at the sights and around the tower.

Galata Tower

Istanbul Theodosian Walls

The Walls of Constantinople, also called the Istanbul City Walls, are a chance to see the original stone walls that protected the city during the Roman Empire. These walls were one of the most complicated defense systems ever built, and they were meant to keep out attacks from both land and sea. In AD, the walls were built. The wall dates back to the 5th century and is miles long. They are great places to see the city from above and get a feel for how long Istanbul has been around.

Theodosian Walls

Istanbul Maiden’s Tower

The Maiden’s Tower in Istanbul has excellent views and a restaurant and cafe, making it a great place to relax and take beautiful pictures. The tower was built in ancient times, and since the Middle Ages, it has also been called Leandros Tower or Leander’s Tower.

Over the years, the tower has been in games, movies, TV shows, and other works of art. It is a prominent part of Istanbul and a popular place to take pictures.

Maiden’s Tower

Istanbul Hodjapasha Cultural Center

You can visit this cultural center in Istanbul to get a taste of the performing arts tradition in Turkey. The Hodjapasha Cultural Center is in a hammam built in the 15th century. Now, though, it has a strikingly decorated interior with a high domed ceiling and a place where vivid dance shows happen often. The famous Whirling Dervish dance is a mystical ritual of the Mevlevi order usually done in Rumi poetry.

Istanbul Galata Bridge

In Istanbul, Turkey, there is a bridge called the Galata Bridge that goes over the Golden Horn. The bridge has been a part of Turkish literature, theatre, poetry, and novels since the end of the 19th century. Since the early 1800s, bridges have linked Eminonü in the Fatih district to Karakoy in Beyolu. The current Galata Bridge is the most recent of these bridges. The existing bridge was built in 1994. It is the fifth bridge in the same spot.

Galata Bridge

Istanbul Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern, or Cisterna Basilica, is the largest of hundreds of ancient cisterns located beneath Istanbul, Turkey. Located 150 meters southwest of Hagia Sophia on the historic Sarayburnu Peninsula, the reservoir was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.

Basilica Cistern

Istanbul City Details

Istanbul is northwest of Turkey, on the Sea of Marmara, the only way to get from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Some beautiful islands are Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, and Knalada. The city is also made up of five small islands. Even though there is a myth that the city is made up of seven hills, there are more than 50 hills in the city.

Istanbul City 

In 2018, Istanbul had the eleventh-largest economy of all the major cities in the world. It comprised 30% of Turkey’s industrial output, 31% of its GDP, and 47% of its tax revenue.

Istanbul Currency: Turkish Lira

Istanbul city area:  Urban 2,576.85 km2

Metro 5,343.22 km2

Istanbul’s official language: Turkish

Istanbul(Turkey) dials Code:  +90

Getting around in Istanbul

Istanbul is huge. It has more than 15 million people living in an area of 4,000 square miles. I got stuck in traffic a lot. But these megacities also have many transportation options that work well together.

Istanbulkart (Istanbul Card)

The Istanbulkart can be used on all public transportation and can be refilled. It gives you a 30% discount on fares, and the fact that you don’t have to buy individual tickets is worth the trouble of buying one occasionally. Look for signs that say “Biletmatik” at metro and tram stops where yellow and blue vending machines sell cards. It costs 13TL for one card.

Tram, funicular and cable car

The T1 tram line, which starts near the Kabataş ferry terminal and goes over the Galata Bridge and past the sights of Sultanahmet, is the one that tourists are most likely to use. Along the Golden Horn, a tram (T5) stops in the colourful neighbourhoods of Fener, Balat, and Eyüp. A tram (T3) also goes through the Kadkoy neighbourhood on the Asian side of Istanbul.

Two funicular lines, one between Karakoy and Tünel Square and the other between Kabataş and Taksim Square, connect the T1 tram to the pedestrianised shopping and entertainment area around Stiklal Caddesi, saving you a steep uphill walk. From the T1 stop at Eyüp, you can take a cable car up to the Pierre Loti café and viewing area, which is very popular.

Tram

Metro and Marmaray

Istanbul’s metro lines, constantly getting longer, now cover more than 80 miles and link new parts of the city as it grows. Most visitors won’t want to take any other line between Hacosman and Yenikap besides the M2. It goes through the business and shopping areas around Levent, Taksim Square, işhane, and the Golden Horn. The Marmaray is a separate subway train system that connects to the metro at Yenikap and tunnels under the Bosphorus to the Asian side.

Istambul Metro

Ferry

Boats regularly cross the Bosphorus between Eminonü, Karakoy, Kabataş, and Beşiktaş on the European side and Kadkoy and Üsküdar on the Asian side. The ride on a ferry in Istanbul is a tourist attraction because of the beautiful views. Ferries also run along the Golden Horn every hour, to the Princes Islands every two hours, and sometimes up and down the Bosphorus.

Bus

The city is made up of a network of bus routes. But it can be challenging for tourists to find their way around. Buses stop at an underground under Taksim Square and a parking lot in Eminonü near the ferry. Buses have to deal with Istanbul’s terrible traffic, of course. Six Metrobus lines run on their highways, mainly serving residential and business areas on the city’s outskirts.

Bicycle and scooter

Bicycles are only sometimes used as a daily mode of transportation in Istanbul. Because there are few bike lanes and drivers don’t pay much attention to cyclists, using a bike to get around is not a good idea. But there are excellent places to have a picnic, especially on the European and Asian sides of the city near the Bosphorus and the Marmara coast. SBIKE is an app-based system that lets people rent bikes in cities. It has locations on all of these beaches. People also like to ride bikes on the Princes Islands.

Car

Because there is always construction and traffic in Istanbul, it is best to avoid driving around the city. Most big international car rental companies have offices near Taksim Square if you need a car for a long trip.

Istanbul Cuisine

Cultural diversity says that There are many different kinds of food in Istanbul. This type of food and its recipes are unique. Saffron sea bass soup and chestnut chicken broth are both very healthy. Some recipes, like “Persian rice” and “Circassian chicken,” are only known by their ethnic names. There is a lot of history and cultural and ethnic mixing in the food of Istanbul. There’s something for everyone.

Istanbul Nightlife

Istanbul, the Turkey, is a city that never sleeps, so plenty of bars, clubs, and restaurants keep you busy at night. Here, people party hard and eat tasty food all the time. Istanbul’s nightlife is, without a doubt, the most exciting thing you can do. Istanbul will always catch your attention with its late-night parties, tasty food, and people dancing the night away.

There are some fun things to do at night in Istanbul. These things include shopping, visiting historical sites, spending time in nice bars, and dancing in a cozy nightclub to work up a sweat.

Istanbul Accommodation

On the European side of Istanbul, you should stay in a flat in Galata, Sirkeci, or Sultanahmet. If you want to see tourist spots while you’re there, these three areas are perfect. They are also great for walking around the area without worrying about cars. After your daily tour, taking a shower and changing for dinner is fine. Before returning to your hotel in the evening, these are the best places to walk the colorful streets and look for a Turkish coffee house or bar.

Approximate Budget

Plan on spending about TRY805 ($43) daily on your trip to Istanbul. It is the average daily price based on what other guests have spent. For one day, travelers in the past spent an average of TRY202 ($11) on food and TRY47 ($2.50) on local travel. Also, the average hotel room cost for two people in Istanbul is TRY995 ($53). So, it costs an average of TRY11,264 ($599) for two people to spend a week in Istanbul. These average travel prices were all collected from other travelers to help you plan your travel budget.

Conclusion

Istanbul is one of those cities where no matter how high your expectations are, it will surprise you more than you imagined. When you’re there, it’s a city where it’s easy to entirely consume the fantastic historical sites, the friendliness of the people and culture, and the abundance of incredibly delicious Turkish food. So, many beautiful pages will undoubtedly be added to your travel diary.

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