If the earth was a single state,

‘If the Earth was a single state, Istanbul
would be its capital ’
Napoleon Bonaparte

Reyhan Tornacı

History

It has been the capital of three great empires, the Roman,
Byzantine and Ottoman empires, and for more than 1,600 years
over 120 emperors and sultans ruled the world from here.

Copyright © by Reyhan Tornacı

History

Constantinople was officially conquered by the Ottomans, led by
Sultan Mehmed II on May 29, 1453 after a 53-day siege. During the
siege, the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI, died while
defending his city. Almost immediately, Constantinople was named
as the capital of the Ottoman Empire and its name was changed to
Istanbul.


Geography

Istanbul, Turkey, the largest city in Turkey and the
industrial, commercial, and cultural center of the
nation.

Istanbul lies partly in Europe and partly in Asia
on the traditional land route between Europe and
Asia Minor. It commands the sea route
connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
The city's site has been of great commercial and
military significance for centuries.
Istanbul has highly variable weather, with chilly
to cold winters and warm to hot summers.
Precipitation, including snow, is about 30 inches
(760 mm) a year and falls mostly during winter.


Geography

The summer months in Istanbul are
generally hot and quite humid. The
winters can be cold and wet, although
not as extreme as other areas of the
country.

The sea temperature is creep up to 30 degrees in
June, July and August, with very little rain. Spring
and autumn are popular times to visit because of
the comfortable climate, good for lots of walking
and sightseeing, with highs between 15 – 25
degrees C, in April, May, September and October


Art, Culture and Entertainment

Kumkapı, with its many taverns, bars and fish restaurants, is another
attractive district.
People have been meeting for years at Çiçek Pasajı in the district of
Beyoğlu for snacks and seafood specialties.
Also in the area near Çiçek Pasajı is the narrow Nevizade Street, which is
the best place in İstanbul for eating Turkish specialties and drinking rakı,
the special Turkish drink.


Art, Culture and Entertainment

The International Arts and Cultural Festival is held each year in
June and July with famous artists coming from all over the world.
Operas, operettas, ballets, film, concerts, exhibitions and
conferences all share the cultural palette of the city.


How to Get (by Air)

You can travel to Istanbul by air, land, or sea from all around the
world.

Istanbul has two international airports; one on the Asian side
(Ataturk Airport) and the other one on the European side (Sabiha
Gokcen Airport). From Istanbul you can fly to many other cities of
Turkey as there are frequent daily flights of different airline

How to Get (By land)

Istanbul is well connected to many European cities by highways.
Some private Turkish bus companies run scheduled buses to
Istanbul from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Greece,
Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Jordan, Russia, Georgia, and
Romania.


How to Get (By rail)

Turkish Railways Authority (TCDD) has regular train schedules from
Istanbul to Budapest - Hungary, Bucarest - Romania, Kishinev - Moldova,
Salonica - Greece and Sofia - Bulgaria in Europe, or to Damascus - Syria
and Tehran - Iran in the Middle East.


How to Get (by Sea)

There are several maritime companies that run car and passenger
ferries from Greece or from Italy to Turkey. Most of these arrive at
Çesme near Izmir, but some to Istanbul as well, especially during
the summer. There is also a regular ferry line between Odessa
(Ukraine) and Istanbul which takes about 35 hours. Many cruise
ships dock at Istanbul too for daily excursions.

Where to Visit (Dolmabahçe)

Dolmabahce Palace is placed near by Bosphorus and it has a
great view of Marmara Sea and Asian Side of Istanbul.

Dolmabahce Palace
was the first
European-style palace
on the European coast
Istanbul and was built
by Sultan Abdulmecid
between 1842 and
1853,in Besiktas, at a
cost of five million.


Where to Visit (Topkapı)

Topkapi Palace overlooking Marmara Sea and Bosphorus.The main
entrance Bab-i Humayun is situated next to Hagia Sophia,in Hippodrome.

Topkapi Palace constructed
by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, (the
Conqueror of Istanbul) in
1478 has been the official
residence of the Otoman
Sultans and center of State
Administration around 380
years until the construction
of Dolmabahce Palace(in
Besiktas) by Sultan
Abdulmecid.


Where to Visit (Yıldız Place)

This is a complex of pavilions and gardens scattered over a large area of
hills and valleys overlooking the Bosphorus and surrounded by high
walls.It is located on the European side of Bosphorusin Besiktas.

This second largest palace in
Istanbul is now separated into
various sections, each serving a
different purpose. The 500,000
sq. m grove had always been
reserved for the court, and the
first mansion built here in the
early 19th century was quickly
followed by others. When Sultan
Abdulhamid II, who was an overly
suspicious person, decided that
this palace offered better
security, the complex soon
developed into its present form

Where to Visit (Beylerbeyi)

The Beylerbeyi Palace (Turkish: Beylerbeyi Sarayı, Beylerbeyi meaning
"Lord of Lords") is located in the Beylerbeyi neighbourhood of Istanbul,
Turkey at the Asian side of the Bosphorus. An Imperial Ottoman summer
residence built in the 1860s, it is now situated immediately north of the
1973 Bosphorus Bridge..
.


Where to Visit (Binbirdirek Cistern)

The cistern is located in Sultanahmet to the west of the Hippodrome.It is
the second biggest cistern of Istanbul after Bassilica Cistern,which is
also situated in Sultanahmet and that used to provide water from Belgrat
forest in Sariyer.


Where to Visit (Çırağan Palace)

Çırağan Palace (Turkish: Çırağan Sarayı), a former Ottoman palace, is
now a five-star hotel of the Kempinski Hotels chain. It is located on the
European shore of the Bosporus between Beşiktaş and Ortaköy in
Istanbul, Turkey.
Çırağan Palace is situated on the European shores of the Bosphorus in a
very convenient location between the districts of Besiktas and Ortakoy
and 10 minutes drive to Taksim.


Where to Visit (Kücuksu Pavilion)

Kücuksu Pavilion was commissioned by Sultan Abdülmecid I (1823-1861)
and was designed and constructed by the Armenian-Turkish architect,
Sarkis Balyan, in Baroque style in 1856.
Kucuksu Pavilion is a nice one located nearby the Anadolu Fort in
Istanbul.


Where to Visit (Bassilica Cistern)

The Basilica Cistern, located in the crowded Eminönü district of Istanbul
next to the Hagia Sophia, was built to provide water for the city of
Istanbul during the reign of Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century CE.
This cistern is an underground chamber of 138 x 64.6 metres..


Where to Visit (Grand Bazaar)

The Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) in Istanbul is one of the largest covered
markets in the world with 60 streets and 5,000 shops, and attracts
between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. It is well known for its
jewellery, hand-painted ceramics, carpets, embroideries, spices and
antique shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by type of
goods, with special areas for leather, gold jewellery and the like...


Where to Visit (Spice Bazaar)

A short walk from the Grand Bazaar, the 17th-century Eminönü Egyptian
Spice Bazaar, open seven days a week, is another favourite of the
camera-wielding, souvenir-seeking tourist.


Where to Visit (Grand Bazaar)

The Arasta Bazaar,also known as Sipahi Carsisi ,in Istanbul,in
Sultanahmet is a small market close to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. It is
known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, textiles, and carpet shops. There are
about 40 shops lined on both sides of a street, selling traditional items.


Where to Visit (The Blue Mosque )

The Blue Mosque (Called Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish) is an historical
mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because
of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design.Mosque was built
between 1609 and 1616 years, during the rule of Ahmed I. just like many
other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasa and a
hospice.Besides still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has
also become a popular tourist attraction in Istanbul.


Where to Visit (Süleymaniye Mosque )

The Süleymaniye Mosque was commissioned by Sultan Süleyman I, also
known as Süleyman the Magnificent, the greatest and richest of all
Ottoman sultans. The construction began in 1550, and the 3.500
craftsmen that worked on it finished the job seven years later.


Where to Visit (Ortakoy Mosque )

The Ortakoy Mosque is situated on the waterside of the Ortaköy pier
square in the Beşiktaş District, one of the most popular locations on the
Bosphorus. The mosque was built on the order of Abdulmecid (1839-
1861), the ruler of the Ottoman Empire, and was constructed by the
Nigoğos Balyan in 1853. It was during the same century that the mosque
rose to a higher level of importance on the European side of Istanbul. It is
also known as “Great Mecidiye Mosque” and is one of the most beautiful
samples of the Baroque architecture in Istanbul.


Where to Visit (Hagia Irini)

The Hagia Irini church which comes from the Byzantine period stands in
the courtyard of Topkapi Palace in Sultanahmet. This church is the
second biggest Byzantine church after Hagia Sophia that survived until
the present day. The church was built by the Byzantine Emperor
Lustiniaus I by early IVth Century (360) AD in Istanbul.


Where to Visit (Gulhane Park)

Gulhane Park (Turkish: Gulhane Parki or Sarayburnu Parki) is a
historical, urban park in Eminonu district of Istanbul. It is the oldest and
one of the largest public parks in Istanbul. It is located between the
Topkapi Palace and Sarayburnu.It has a large view of Marmara Sea. The
entrance of the park has one of the larger gates of Topkapi Palace. The
park is spread over a very large area and has very interesting and rare
kinds of trees and bushes..


Where to Visit (Hagia Sophia )

Hagia Sophia is a great architectural beauty and an important monument
both for Byzantine and for Ottoman Empires. Once a church, later a
mosque, and now a museum at the Turkish Republic, Hagia Sophia has
always been the precious of its time.


Where to Visit (Büyükada)

Büyükada (Turkish, meaning "Big Island") is the largest island
among the Princes' Islands in the Marmara Sea. It covers an area
of 5.4 km², and the distance of the island to the nearest Maltepe
shore is 2.3 km. As of 2000, it has a population of approximately
7,335 including Sedef Island.


Where to Visit (Heybeliada)

Heybeliada is the second largest of the Princes' Islands in the
MarmaraSea near Istanbul. It has a lenghth of 2.7 km from north
to south and a width of 1.2 km from east to west. Heybeliada was
known as “Demonisos” or “Chalki” in the past. It takes its
present name of Heybeliada from the shape of a bag that it
resembles when looked upon from a distance.


Where to Visit (Atatürk Museum )

Atatürk Museum is located in Halaskargazi Street walking
towards the direction from the start of Şişli to Osmanbey, it will
be on the left side. The building used as Atatürk Museum is the
three- story and pink. The museum draws a nostalgic image
among other structures in the street and it gives people a chance
to meet many personal goods of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.


Where to Visit (Galata Bridge)

It has been known as the Cisr-i Cedid, or the New Bridge, and was
constructed in 1845 by Valide Sultan, the mother of Sultan Abd-ul-Mejid I
(1823-1861). Admiral Hasan Ahmet Paşa renovated the bridge, putting it
back into service in 1863 since it had been damanged in short span of
time. At the end of 19th century, Aziziye Karakolu (Police Station)
adorned it with eclectic accents built in the fore part of the bridge in the
Galata district in order to increase pedestrian traffic and to quell the
emerging (rising) discontent of the public.


Do not go without doing these

 Take a fish feast in Anadolu Kavagi and taste Lokma
afterwards.
 Take a photograph of the glimmering scenery of the blue and
green colors of the Bosphorus in Rumeli Kavagı.
 Watch the sunset while sitting in the very end of Silivri
Mendirek.
 Ride horse in Kemerburgaz.
 Have a romantic stroll along the long beach of Kumburgaz.
 Play Golf in Kemerburgaz.
 Have a grill feast in one of the countryside restaurants in
Kilyos.
 Go to a night party in one of the beach clubs in Kilyos.
 Buy a homemade marmalade from Polonezkoy.
 Hire a canoe, sea bicycle or boat in Agva.


 Have a delicate breakfast in Polonezkoy.
 Stay in one of the guest houses in the coast of the river in Agva
and enjoy the silence and scenery.
 Visit caves in Agva.
 Buy clothes made from linen fabric in Sile.
 Visit Sile lighthouse and the castle.
 Enjoy fish at Burgazada.
 Taste the well kebab in Burgazada.
 Have a Sunday breakfast accompanied by Classical Music in
Buyukada Culture house.
 Taste the lemonade and ice cream in Buyukada.
 Have a pleasure phaeton carriage in Islands.



 Tour Buyukada by riding bicycle.
 Go up to aya yorgi church by donkeys.
 Listen Ezan in Bluemosque
 Smoke nargile (waterpipe) in Sultanahmet.
 Drink Turkish apple tea and black tea.
 Buy cheap but quality clothes from Bazaars.
 Take a ride to Taksim square.
 Go to Egyptian Bazaar and smell the taste of various spices.


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