World: Istanbul-Turkey Info and New Photographs 2012

Istanbul is a busy city with a population of 10 million people. One exciting piece of info about Istanbul is that it is situated on the border between Asia and Europe so that one part of Istanbul is in Europe while the other part of Istanbul is Asian. These two parts of Istanbul are divided by a expand of water known as the Bosphorus close to the sea of Marmara. There are presently three bridges that hook up Asian Istanbul to European Istanbul.

Istanbul is a city with 3000 years of history. In Roman instances it was the seats of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and was called Constantinople. It was not till the 15th century that the Ottomans had taken control of Istanbul providing it a more Islamic figure. The history of these two empires can be seen today in Istanbul where generally impressive mosques and churches stand side by side. One of the most attractive things about the city is the view one increases standing on the south bank looking at the mountains to the north which are peppered with minarets all of which sound in unison at prayer time.

Istanbul is even now seen by many as the ethnical heart of Turkey even if its not the capital; it is where the greater part of business develops with the most significant sea port in Turkey being in Istanbul. A visitor to Istanbul can get a excellent perspective of both sides of the city from the bridges. It has a exciting and wealthy history so if you are interested in visiting and discovering new info about Istanbul you should prepare to stay there for a few days at least.