Istanbul, the city on the seven hills. Now it is called Historical Peninsula, the city was built on the seven hills, inside the Istanbul City Walls. It is the only city in the world which spread over two continents. Asia and Europe. This 8500 years old city was the capital of three empires, which are Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, throughout history.
This beautiful city, with its 647 km (402 miles) of coastline, is located northwestern part of Turkey and surrounded by Marmara and Black Sea from the north and south. The long and large waterway Bosphorus which is the most important element of the city’s identity, running between north and south, divides the city into two continents. Today, three bridges on the sea and one road tunnel underneath the Bosphorus Strait connect the two continents with roadways.
Officially 16 million people (unofficial active population is around 20 million people) live in Turkey’s most populated city Istanbul, which is #1 in Europe and #6 in the World by population. While the average is 111 people per square meter in Turkey, Istanbul also is the city with the highest population density in the country with 3262 people per sq meter.
Istanbul is the most important city in Turkey Economy. Almost all the banks and financial companies, big industrial or technology companies have their headquarters in Istanbul. This is the 34th biggest economy in the world’s cities.
With its historical richness, Istanbul has a lot of tourists attracted landmarks/places and the city welcomes 10 million tourists every year. We can count some of those landmarks as, Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, Galata Tower, Maiden’s Tower (also it is one of the most photographed spots in the world), Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Basilica Cistern. It is inevitable that Istanbul at the same time needs the country’s largest airport with this touristic and business density. Istanbul Airport is also one of the busiest airports in Europe with its annual 425K flight and 65 million passengers. The main terminal building is the largest building in the world which has a LEED Certificate.
And the most important sports for Turkish people, Soccer. Istanbul is the hometown of the three most famous soccer club, which are Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas, also known as The Three-Big in Turkey Soccer League. There are four soccer stadiums in the city which have UEFA Five-Star ratings. A couple of the most important sporting events were played in Istanbul, such as 2005 Champions League Final Game, 2009 UEFA Cup Final Game and 2019 UEFA Super Cup Game. Also, the 2023 Champions League Final Game is going to be held in the city.
There are a lot of reasons to visit this beautiful city, and this is probably going to be one of the most unforgettable trips in your life.
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