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ABOUT ISTANBUL

Istanbul has a unique position in the World by being the only city settled on two different continents and  thereby  offering a chance to make an intercontinental trip by bus or ferry like some of the Istanbullers do everyday.

There is of course far more than geography to the magical hold Istanbul has exerted over one's imagination throughout its fabled history. Byzantines and Ottomans ruled a large part of the world from this powerful capital. Traces of their presence in city walls, magnificent mosques and brilliant palaces, shape Istanbul's alluring scape and colour its exotic texture. For more than 3000 years, this city has been a crossroad of cultures, a rendez-vous of East and West. Each civilization that has made its home in Istanbul has left its mark in some way, and culture and traditions blending East with West and Mediterranean with Anatolian can be traced in Istanbul's modern life.

Today, Istanbul still remains the commercial, historical and cultural centre of Turkey, and its beauty lies in its ability to embrace its contradictions. Ancient and modern, religious and secular, Asia and Europe, mystical and earthly all co-exist here.

Geographically Istanbul is divided into three by water. The European and Asian parts are dissected by the Bosphorus. The European section is further divided into two, as the Old and the New cities, by the Golden Horn. The concepts of old and new are relative only. As the New City was largely reshaped in the Republican Period, it still carries the main urban characteristics of Byzantium. The skyline of Istanbul is shaped by the domes and minarets of over 400 mosques concentrated mostly in the 'Old City' or 'Historical Peninsula' on one hand, and by skyscapers of the 'New City' on the other.

Partial Istanbul Map

Potpourri of Architectural and Civil Monuments

Süleymaniye (Suleiman) Mosque
This 16th century masterpiece was constructed by Architect Sinan, the most famous of Ottoman architects, with the order of Süleyman the Magnificient. Its construction was began in 1550 and was finished in 1557. The 53 m high central dome of the mosque rests on four pillars, called elephant-feet, and has a diameter of 26.5 m.

Yerebatan (Basilica) Cistern
The largest of covered cisterns in the city was built during the reign of Justinian I, the Byzantine Emperor. 336 columns arranged in 12 rows support brick cross-vaults covering an area of 9800 sq.m. 

 

   

Hagia Sophia
Church was built over the remains of the previous basilica by the order of Justinian, the Byzantine Emperor. The construction was started in 532 and completed in five years. In Hagia Sophia, Justinian had attempted for the first time in the history of architecture to build a gigantic central dome over a rectangular plan.

Hagia Sophia, once served as a mosque in Ottoman period, was converted into a museum on Atatürk's orders after the foundation of Turkish Republic.

Dolmabahçe Palace
The Palace, serving as the winter residence of Ottoman Sultans, was built between 1843-1856 by Karabet Balyan, the court architect of Sultan Abdulmecid. As an example of Eclectic Style, it also houses a good collection of European antiques and furniture and is famous for its 4.5-ton chandelier.

In the Republican era, Atatürk used it as a residence while visiting Istanbul and he died here in 1938.  Today it serves as museum.  

 
 
For More Information About Istanbul
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