Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans over two continents. Europe and Asia. The city embodies mystery, intrigue, and glamour which left most other cities long ago. While the museums, palaces, great mosques, and bazaars seem inexhaustible, there’s also an unexpected natural beauty. From the shores of the Bosphorus at sunset, the red evening light reflects in the windows on the opposite shore and you understand what attracts people to this glorious city.
Shopping in Istanbul is most likely the least expensive in entire Europe, food is varied and exquisite combining unique tastes of European, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines -thanks to the Ottoman Empire once spanned from eastern Europe to Northern Africa and deserts of Arabia-, and the twelwe million who live here mingle with a wide variety of people walking its streets.
Like a lost and forgotten kingdom, Istanbul is waiting to be discovered again. Istanbul is a very old settlement with its 8000 years history. Istanbul is a living museum with its historical sites in open air, one can continuously find new beauties and interesting places. Istanbul is also a meeting point for all the religions.
Istanbul whose population is about 12 million, is a major port and trade center. It is the most important city in Turkey, posessing a number of universities, high schools, libraries and cultural centers. Istanbul has an impressive sight, situated on a site dominating both the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus, and brimming with fine monuments and artifacts of the Byzantine and Ottoman Era.