[Hi-LaL]

The Istanbul Portal at istanbul is presented by Istanbul Governor’s Office, the highest state office of the province, and aims at being a public portal. The Governor’s Office of Istanbul is pleased to greet you from İstanbul.

“There, God and mankind, nature and art altogether have created such a magnificent place on earth that it is worth a visit,” says Lamartine to describe the city encompassing two continents, Asia with one arm and Europe with the other.

With a population of 10 million, this is the most populated city of Turkish Republic, and is the center of exports and imports, entertainment, cultural activities, education, shopping, tourism and artistic activities across the entire country. Located in the heart of the Old World, Istanbul is an important and renowned megalopolis with its historical monuments and magnificent natural beauties. This is the only city stretching over two continents, Europe and Asia, where they face each other across a narrow body of water called Bosphorus or the Istanbul Straits. Founded over 2500 years ago, it soon became an important commercial center owing to its strategic location where lands and seas meet.

The seas and lands divide the geography into four. On both flanks of the Golden Horn are the historical peninsula of Istanbul and Galata while on both flanks of the Bosphorus are the ex-villages, which have now joined the grand city. The settlements along the shores of the Sea of Marmara- the smallest sea in the world- bear witness to the present day size of the city.

The historical city of Istanbul lies on a triangular shaped peninsula surrounded by the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. It was the capital city of three world-empires: Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman; and over 120 emperors and sultans ruled from here through a period of more than 1600 years. Istanbul is the only city in the world with such a quality.

The city of Istanbul is encircled with fortifications built in the 5th century CE and stretches over 7 hills, each of which was crowned with a sultan’s mosque, adorned with Turkish monuments. The skyline of the city is bewildering, bewitching and peaceful from every angle. The Golden Horn is the best protected natural harbor in the world and had a key role in the development of the city. Its location at the junction of main routes, controlling the strategic Bosphorus straits, a peninsula with a perfect setting for defense, ideal climate, rich and bountiful nature are to the advantage of Istanbul.

As the city became the capital city for empires, it also became an administrative center of religions: the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate has been established here from the very beginning and the first gigantic churches and monasteries rose here in the places of pagan temples. In the first century following the Turkish conquest, the city was adorned with mosques, palaces, schools, hammams (Turkish baths) and other facilities, hence acquiring a Turkish character, and some of the old churches then dilapidated were restored and transformed into mosques. Istanbul has always been a center of tolerance, where the mosques, churches and synagogues have existed side by side.

A popular venue for travelers of all times, Istanbul has proceeded ahead in improving its maritime facilities with its marinas, harbors, and aerial facilities with the enlarged international airport and a second one on the Asian side. The two suspension bridges- the Mehmet the Conqueror and the Bosphorus- joining the two flanks of the Bosphorus are the main arteries for the citizens commuting from one side to the other. The best places to view the Bosphorus from above is either as you drive across or from the Çamlıca Hill. The suspension bridges, especially the Bosphorus Bridge, present a very mesmerizing scene at night even for the locals.

Under the shadow of the Roman, Byzantine and Turkish historical monuments deliberately preserved the city has a very vivid and colorful daily life, and is becoming more colorful with the rich social, cultural and commercial activities. Besides the restaurants serving a rich variety of Turkish cuisine it is now possible to dine at restaurants serving Asian or other cuisines. Latest movies meet the spectators at the same time with the rest of the world in the most comfortable movie theaters. World famous pop singers attract thousands to the stadiums while opera, ballet and theatre performances continue all the year round, and seasonal festivals host orchestras, choruses, jazz groups alongside musical, folkloric and theatrical performances are all sold out. These are hosted at modern auditoriums such as Atatürk Cultural Center, Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall, Open Air Theater and modern theaters alongside the historical sites such as Aya Irini, Rumeli Fortress, Yedikule Fortress, Topkapı Palace courtyard, and Gülhane Park. Covered fair grounds in the world standards are amongst the most frequently visited sites thanks to their continuous activities. Hectic tourism in the spring, summer and fall times is followed by slower paced winters now fashionable with shopping fests and cultural tours supported by sales in big shopping centers.

The heart of the Turkish press beats in Istanbul. Now the newspaper printing houses and new university campuses built as large complexes moved out of the city center. The universities, state and private hospitals have attained high international standards and serve the international demand.


.

[Misafir]

HELLO TO ISTANBUL

Located in the center of the Old World, Istanbul is one of the world's great cities famous for its historical monuments and magnificent scenic beauties. It is the only city in the world which spreads over two continents: it lies at a point where Asia and Europe are separated by a narrow strait - the Bosphorus. Istanbul has a history of over 2,500 years, and ever since its establishment on this strategic junction of lands and seas, the city has been a crucial trade center.

The historic city of Istanbul is situated on a peninsula flanked on three sides by the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. It has been the capital of three great empires, the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, and for more than 1,600 years over 120 emperors and sultans ruled the world from here. No other city in the world can claim such a distinction.

During its development, the city was enlarged four times, each time the city walls being rebuilt further to the west.

Surrounded by 5th century Roman city walls and stretching over seven hills, Istanbul is adorned by the masterpieces of Turkish art, the great mosques of the Sultans that crown the hills. The city presents an exquisite, majestic and serene silhouette from all directions. The Golden Horn, which is a very secure natural harbor, has played a significant role in the development of the city.

Fortune provided such advantages to Istanbul as a location at a junction where the main overland routes reach the sea, an easily defensible peninsula, an ideal climate, a rich and generous nature, control of the strategic Bosphorus, and a central geographical position in the ancient world.

As a capital of empires, the city was not only an administrative, but also a religious center. The Patriarchate of Eastern Christians has been headquartered here since its establishment, and the largest early churches and monasteries of the Christian world rose in this city on top of the pagan temples. Within a century after the city was conquered, it was enriched with mosques, palaces, schools, baths and other architectural monuments that gave it a Turkish character, while some of the existing churches in ruins were repaired, altered and converted into mosques.Between the 16th century when the Ottoman sultans acquired themselves the title of the "Caliph of Islam" and 1924, the first year of the Republic, Istanbul was also the headquarters of the Caliphate. More Jews settled in Istanbul than any other port, and here they built themselves a new and happy life after they were rescued from Spain by the Turks in the 15th century. Istanbul has always been a city of tolerance where mosques, churches and synagogues existed side by side. The city was adorned with a large number of dazzling and impressive works even during the period of decline of the Ottomans.
During this time, the influence of European art made itself felt in the new palaces, while the northern slopes of the Golden Horn, Galata and Beyoglu districts assumed a European character. Even when the Empire, which was a party to World War I, collapsed and the young Republic that replaced it moved the capital to Ankara, Istanbul did not lose its significance.

The haphazard development that began in the years following World War II and accelerated in the 1950's has unfortunately had a negative impact on the fabric of the old city, and while old wooden houses disappeared rapidly, concrete buildings proliferated. Istanbul experienced a population explosion due to immigration, and within a very short period it expanded far beyond the historical city walls. The areas inside the walls were invaded by workshops, mills and offices; even the new thoroughfares could not solve the traffic problems, and the inadequacy of the infrastructure gave rise to a sea pollution problem, starting with the Golden Horn.

With the initiatives for saving the city in the 1980s, Istanbul embarked on a process of restructuring on a scale unseen in its history.Thousands of buildings along the Golden Horn were demolished to make way for a green belt on its shores; parks and gardens were built on the land claimed by filling up the beaches of the Sea of Marmara. In order to prevent sea pollution drainage systems were completed and physical and biological wastewater treatment plants were erected; the use of natural gas for heating has considerably reduced air pollution.


Efforts are continuing for the restoration of the Roman city walls, and Beyoglu, the main artery, was rescued by building a newavenue. Improvements were made in ihe general cleaning, maintenance, garbage collection fields and these services are now at Western European standards. Ring roads cross the Bosphorus over two suspension bridges to connect the two continents. The European side has now a fast tramway system and a subway, and comfort and speed has been ensured in sea transportation with the hydrofoil terminals built on the seashores. All industrial establishments on the historic peninsula have been moved to new facilities in the suburbs, and the new international bus terminal has reduced traffic intensity. The old jail and the first large concrete building of the city were given over to tourism and converted into 5-star hotels.

The city is growing dynamically and developing at full speed on an east-west axis along the shores of the Marmara.

[Misafir]

THE GOTHS COLUMN

The column is located in the outer garden of the Topkapi Palace, at the entrance to the Gulhane Park from Sarayburnu. It is the oldest monument in the city that has survived intact from the Roman period. The 15m high monolithic marble column on an elevated base was erected in either the 3rd or the 4th centuries. The Corinthian capital is decorated with a coat of arms depicting eagles. The name derives from the inscription on the column that mentions a victory against the Goths. It is almost hidden by the tall trees surrounding it.

[Misafir]

History of Istanbul

What is now called Asian Istanbul was probably inhabited by people as early as 3000 BC. Eventually, in the 7th century, Greek colonists led by King Byzas established the colony of Byzantium, the Greek name for a city on the Bosphorus. Byzas chose the spot after consulting an oracle of Delphi who told him to settle across from the "land of the blind ones." Indeed, Byzas concluded, earlier settlers must have been deprived of their sight to have overlooked this superb location at the mouth of the Bosphorus strait. This proved an auspicious decision by Byzas, as history has shown Istanbul's location important far beyond what these early Greek settlers might possibly have conceived. Byzas gave his name to the city: Byzantium.
In the early 100's BC, it became part of the Roman Empire and in 306 AD, Emperor Constantine the Great made Byzantium capital of the entire Roman Empire. From that point on, the city was known as Constantinople.
The mid 400's AD was a time of enormous upheaval in the empire. Barbarians conquered the western Roman Empire while the Eastern, also called the stand as monuments to the heights Byzantine Empire, kept Constantinople as its capital. In 532 during the reign of Justinian I, antigovernment riots destroyed the city. It was rebuilt, and outstanding structures such as Hagia SophiaByzantine culture reached. The attribute that made the city so desirable, its incomparable location for trade and transport between three continents, was also its nemesis. For the next several hundred years Persians, Arabs, nomadic peoples, and members of the Fourth Crusade (who for a time governed the city) attacked Constantinople.
Finally, weakened by almost constant battle, the Ottoman Turks lead by Sultan Mehmet II conquered Constantinople in 1453. Renamed Istanbul, it became the third and last capital of the Ottoman Empire. It was the nerve center for military campaigns that were to enlarge the Ottoman Empire dramatically. By the mid 1500's, Istanbul, with a population of almost half a million, was a major cultural, political, and commercial center. Ottoman rule continued until it was defeated in WWI and Istanbul was occupied by the allies.
When the Republic of Turkey was born in 1923 after the War of Independence, Kemal Ataturk moved the capital to the city of Ankara. But Istanbul has continued to expand dramatically; today its population is approximately 13 million and increases at an estimated 700,000 immigrants per year. Industry has expanded even as tourism has grown. It continues to be a city that creates its own history at the intersection where both Continents meet.
There are many interesting museums, castles, palaces, mosques, churches, and historic hammams. Some of the interesting districts of the city are: Haydarpasa, Uskudar, Eyup, Galata, Perapalas, Ortaköy, Bosphorus, Taksim, Eminönü and Sultanahmet. Princess Islands are a popular summer resort for local people.