GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ISTANBUL

Istanbul is a city of fantastic history, culture and beauty. Called Byzantium in ancient times, the city’s name was changed to Constantinople in 324 CE when it was rebuilt by the first Christian Roman Emperor, Constantine. While the term “Istanbul” had been in widespread use for centuries, it only became the official name of the city upon the foundation of the Republic of Turkey in the 1920s.

The most populous city in Europe, Istanbul forms the financial centre of Turkey andborders between Asia and Europe as it has for millennia: this is the result when you mix ancient Christendom, a medieval metropolis and the modern Middle East. Situated on either side of the Bosporus, Istanbul retains its metropolitan status: the city’s population is more than 14 million people, making it one of the largest cities in the world.

Referenced as the “the second Rome”, this is a city where you most certainly should roam — culture and excitement lie around every corner and more than 2000 years of history await you.

Climate

Istanbul has a temperate oceanic climate which is influenced by a continental climate, with hot and humid summers and cold, wet and occasionally snowy winters.

Getting there

Most international flights use Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST), 20 km west of the city centre ie European side. It’s the base for Turkish Airlines, with direct flights to most European cities plus many connections across the Middle East, Far East, Africa and North America. There are also domestic flights across Turkey.

Things to do and see

• With its long history at the centre of empires, Istanbul offers a wealth of historic and religious places to take in. The bulk of these ancient monuments, dating back to Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods, including the Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, and Basilica Cistern are located around Sultanahmet Square,
• North of the peninsula of the old city, across the Golden Horn, is Galata, crowned by the Galata Tower. Istanbul Modern, with its exhibitions of contemporary Turkish art, is on the nearby waterfront of Karaköy.
• Neighbourhood perhaps well worth a visit here is Eyüp, to visit the city’s holiest Islamic shrineand, with all the religious people wandering around the narrow cobblestone streets with their turbans and what not, just to see what the daily life in Ottoman Istanbul might be like
• A visit to a hamam(Turkish bath) is an essential part of any trip to Istanbul and is something you’ll be sure to repeat before leaving. There are at least one historical hamam in each neighborhood of Istanbul. Be cautious in selecting a hamam, as they can vary greatly in cleanliness. Most places will offer a scrubbing and/or a massage.
• Once upon a time, the nargile/hookah, or Turkish water pipe, was the centre of Istanbul’s social and political life. Today some of the locals still consider it one of life’s great pleasures and is something interesting to try. Most of the places where you can smoke a nargile are in YeniçerilerCaddesi, near the KapalıÇarşı (Grand Bazaar)