Turkey - Places To Visit In Istanbul - Travel Advice

Turkey - Things To Do In Istanbul - Travel Adice

Istanbul is a mega city on the edge of Europe and Asia. It has a wealth of attractions, which make it a more interesting destination.

The Bosporus (which is called in Turkish Bogaziçi) is a strait that divides the city into two parts of Istanbul, connecting the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea and physically separates Asia from Europe.

There are two bridges over the strait. Bogazici Bridge of 1074 meters long was completed in 1973. The second bridge, the FSM (Fatih Sultan Mehmet Köprüsü) has a length of 1014 meters, was completed in 1988 and is nearly five miles north of the first bridge. These bridges connect Istanbul to Üsküdar neighboring Asian cities (in Greek Chrysopolis), Kadikoy (Chalcedon in Greek)

Istanbul capital was of two of the most powerful empires of the earth, and cosmopolitan city, to the sixteenth century was probably the most civilized and multicultural, Istanbul hosts extraordinary monuments, palaces, churches and racecourse dating from the Byzantine era , the Süleymaniye mosques of Sultanahmet, Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Saray), seat of Ottoman imperial power, and others.

The Basilica Cistern Yerebatan Sarayi is a large underground cistern built in 532 by Emperor Justinian. It consists of a dome that is supported on 336 columns, two of which rest on top of two large heads that possibly served to indicate where it was the sanctuary of the nymphs. This is the largest tank of 60 built under the city of Istanbul, formerly Byzantium and Constantinople.

Roman Hippodrome Obelisk was built at the time of Septimius Severus in 200 AD The Hippodrome was the center of the civil activities, and Hagia Sophia was the center of religious activities. It also functioned as a center of sports where circuses and chariot races were the recreational activities of the inhabitants of Constantinople for more than 1,000 years. Even today you can distinguish the obelisk Egyptian obelisk and the walls, trim highlights of this racecourse

Sultan Mehmet Bridge - This bridge, also known as El Segundo, along with the Bosphorus Bridge are the only two land routes of communication between the two parts into which it is separated the city of Istanbul. The bridge is kind pendant. It is suspended 64 meters above the sea and was opened in 1988

The most popular and famous of the city is centered on Sultanahmet Square where you can see the Blue Mosque and St. Sophia Cathedral. The beautiful cathedral dates from the sixth century A.D. the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifteenth century, became a mosque. Now a museum and you can see the mixture of both cultures. It was built in front of the Blue Mosque (Blue Mosque). This was done to make clear to the Cathedral of St. Sophia and thus win the leading role. It is noteworthy that if you visit the city in September, you can enjoy the feast of Ramadan where Sultanahmet Square is the center of the festival.

Istiklal Caddesi - (English: Independence Avenue) - is probably the most famous street in Istanbul. The main pedestrian street still has a charming vintage tram along and is full of things to see and do. Cadde Historically, in times of the famous Orient Express in Istiklal Avenue was called-i Kebir, Grande Rue de Pera by French intellectuals who gathered here, and was a glamorous place to see and be seen. However, its glitz and glamor days gave way to rampant crime and deterioration.

Istiklal Avenue- Istiklal Avenue is located in the historic Beyoglu district and starts from the area near the Galata Tower and leads to Taksim Square. Around here do not miss the Çiçek Pasaji (Paso Flores), and Balik Pazari (Fish Market).

Shopping – The currency is the Turkish lira, euro becomes equal to 2 lire. The prices are very affordable. For example, you can go to the harbor fresh fish to eat bread and drink for about 2 euros to change.

Istanbul is a place of markets - In fact, the largest in the world is in this city, the Grand Bazaar. Grand Bazaar If you want to go shopping go to the Grand Bazaar Istanbul, an area of 80 streets, 4000 shops, bars, cafes and restaurants where you can buy everything you can imagine: clothes, all kinds of jewels, silks, clocks, rugs, souvenirs and etc.

The other highlight is the market of spices, where all existing condiments organized in a way that beautifies the place.

It has the peculiarity that the street names corresponding to items that are sold in stores so that at the name of the street you know that kind of shops you'll encounter. Some famous Grand Bazaar is Koylu Pazari, which means "village market", where the story along artisans has sold silks and fabrics to sultanas.

Some of the typical gifts you can find here Istanbul carrying relatives or friends are the spice trays, boxes of granulated apple tea, delicate tea sets and especially the wooden boxes of Turkish delight. The blue eye is the talisman of the city and you'll find in most stores.

It also highlights the beautiful Galata tower, 67 meters high where you have spectacular views of the city and the Bosphorus, where you can make short cruises to enjoy the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara.
The Beyoglu district is crossed the Galata Bridge. Here is located the modern Istanbul live music clubs, discos, terraces crowded with students or profesioales of all countries, boutiques and wide avenues that connect each other with narrow laneways alive. The passage of the Flowers, with its hotels and shops is an example of business in this neighborhood located north of the Golden Horn.

Some important Buildings and Monuments
• Church of St. Sophia also called Church of Divine Wisdom and Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Camii). It is now a museum.
• Blue Mosque and Sultanahmet Camii.
• Topkapi Palace, where intone are several important museums and monuments.
• Dolmabahçe Palace.
• Cistern Basilica or Yerebatan.
• Arap Mosque.
• Church of St. Irene (Hagia Irene), the first church of Byzantium, now a museum.
• Bulgarian St Stephen Church (known as "Bulgarian Iron Church").
• Fatih Mosque.
• Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi).
• Istiklal Avenue (Istiklal Caddesi).
• Mosaic Museum.
• The Prince's Islands.
• Sadberk Hanim Museum.
• Süleymaniye Mosque.
• The Maiden's Tower, Tower of San Leandro (Kiz Kulesi).
• Hippodrome of Constantinople.
• Museum of the Islands of Istanbul.
• Museum of Innocence.
• Museum of Contemporary Art in Istanbul.

Markets, neighbourhoods and places
• Fish Restaurants Bebek area.
• Beyoglu
• Golden Horn
• Taksim Square
• Eyüp Cemetery
• Fashion District, district of Kadiköy
• Bagdat Caddesi, Kadiköy cosmopolitan district of the Asian part of the city.
• The Nisantasi

In conclusion, Istanbul is a destination with many attractions - If you like this advice - Please Subscribe for future travel advice

Turkey Tourism - Istanbul - Travel Advice

Turkey Tourism - Istanbul - Travel Advice

Many tourists dream about the beautiful city of Istanbul because it is a city with an important history and that was the capital of Eastern Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire.

Istanbul - Istanbul is the biggest city in Turkey and the third most populous in Europe. The ancient Byzantium and then Constantinople at the time of the Roman Empire, is now one of the most beautiful and populated areas of Europe, one of the 3 cities are located transcontinental between Europe and Asia.

Culture - Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and more westernized. Its location is between two continents, the culture of the Turkish economic capital is very rich. This motivated the decision by the European Parliament that the European Capital of Culture in 2010 as Istanbul, along with Pecs (Hungary) and Essen (Germany). In 2004, the city hosted the Festival of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 in the Ukraine won 280 points.

History - The Roman Empire -In the year 191 a. C. the city became an ally of Rome, which was recognized as a free city, but later became a direct possession of the Republic (100 BC).

In 194, Byzantium became embroiled in a dispute between the Roman emperor Septimius Severus and Niger Pescennius, siding with the latter. Because of this Severus besieged the city, where Niger's supporters resisted. The fighting lasted three years, which irritated Severus, when finally gave up, looted and destroyed its walls. Then he proposed to rebuild it and build another city twice as large.

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul - The strategic location of Byzantium attracted to the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, who in 330 founded the city again as Nova Roma Constantinople in his honor and became the capital Roman Empire after its division in 395, the Eastern Roman Empire, which has passed into modern historiography with the name of the Byzantine Empire. Nova Roma's name was never used and was often Constantinople which prevailed until the fall of the Empire in 1453 and was used until the twentieth century in Europe, instead of Istanbul (still used in Greece).

The first period of splendor of the Empire the church of St. Sophia, the masterpiece of Byzantine art who built the Emperor Justinian I. After a brief crisis in the seventh and eighth centuries, again another round of rebirth in the IX and X, with the Eastern Schism, after which come the decline of the Empire to the Crusades, the division into several states such as the Latin Empire, and the continuing Turkish threat. But the city maintained its importance as a cultural and commercial center of the Mediterranean, with consulates and colonies of merchants from various countries.

The Ottoman Empire - The Fall of Constantinople under Turkish rule on May 29, 1453 was an event that shocked the European society of the time and is considered the end of the Middle Ages. The city fell after a long siege and years of conflict with the Turks who had conquered the rest of the Byzantine Empire, due to the tenacity of Sultan Mehmed II, then called Fatih ('the conqueror' in Turkish) and was part the Ottoman Empire until its official dissolution on November 1, 1922. The Ottomans called the city Istanbul.

The Blue Mosque - During the Ottoman period the city has gone through a complete cultural change, and went from being an imperial Byzantine city to another Ottoman Orthodox Christian and Islamic. Hagia Sophia, the Church of Divine Wisdom, was converted into a mosque as were some other churches in the city (especially the churches in the neighbourhoods they put more effort into defending the city against Mehmed II). Many churches were retained and new mosques were built around the city, each Sultan has built a magnificent mosque to commemorate his reign. Among these mosques, the most remarkable are the Bayezid Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque (the largest in Istanbul), Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the first Friday sermon or "khutba" in this Mosque was read by the Sufi Jelveti Sheikh Aziz Mahmud Hudayi) and Fatih Mosque.

Tekken Many of these still survive in today, some other form of mosques, museums, Fatih Tekke as Jerrahi, mosques and Ramazan Efendi Efendi Sunbul the mevlevihane Galata Beyoglu, Yahya Effendi in Besiktas and Bektasi Tekke Tekke in Kadiköy now used by Muslims as a Cemevi Alevis. A picturesque element of the landscape of certain parts of the city of Istanbul, which still survives today are the mobs, features tombs of the Ottoman period.

A 13.7 mile rail tunnel is being built with an estimated completion in 2012. Approximately 1400 meters of the tunnel be constructed under the close, using the technique of immersion of the canal, and is expected to be the deepest tunnel executed by this method (with a maximum of 56 m below water level). The project includes the construction of a 13.3 km metro with four stations, linking downtown to the eastern city Istanbul and the western city.

Istanbul has been and is a cultural and ethnic melting pot. Consequently, there are many mosques, churches, synagogues and historic buildings worth visiting in the city. For these reasons the Unesco in 1985, says the historic areas of Istanbul as a World Heritage Site.

Continue reading here to know the Places to visit in Istanbul 

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