Geography The once powerful seat of major empires and – after Constantinople and Byzantium - onto its third major name, Istanbul is a city bursting with history, a hip new energy, and plenty of non-stop attractions to keep your city-break intensely enjoyable. Spanning both Thrace and Anatolia, the two sides of the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul boasts being the only world city to spread across two continents. With a booming population of 12.6 million, it is globally the fourth largest city and naturally the biggest in Turkey, where it plays a central role in just about everything from finance to commerce. For transportation, the famous Golden Horn harbour hosts ships from ports all around the world, while for airline travel Istanbul is served by Atatürk International Airport, to which airBaltic is pleased to bring your flight. Languages Ne haber? (What’s up?) Turkish is the official language of Istanbul and part of the Turkic language group; the modern version of the language derives from Ottoman Turkish, which gained popularity with the spread of Islam. Being such a cosmopolitan city, Istanbul represents a large number of minority language groups, including Arabic, Greek and Armenian. Get ready for adventure by learning a little of the Turkish language, as it will make your trip more fulfilling. Pronunciation is quite simple, but grammar can be complicated, so you may soon be shouting anlamiyorum! (I don’t understand!) See and Do Istanbul has a city skyline overwhelmed with multiple mosques, churches, classical towers and monuments. Of the first category stands the impressive Hagia Sophia in the Sultanahmet, or Old City, once the world’s largest building, unchallenged for a thousand years, and now a museum that should be high on your list of attractions to see. Then there is Leander’s (or Maiden’s) Tower, built by the Greeks in the 4th century B.C. as a command post over the Bosphorus, or the Column of Constantine built in 330 as a dedication to the city’s new role as capital of the Roman Empire. These are merely three examples of the magnitude of Instanbul’s history, and a short city-break will barely scratch the surface of it all.
For a good overview of the city’s past, get tickets to the Istanbul Archaeology Museum with its outstanding collection of over 1 million pieces, or head to the Sadberk Hanim Museum for a look at some of the earliest settlement records in the area. And by all means, don’t leave the city without indulging in a Turkish bath. We’re bound to mention Çemberlitas Hamami near the Column of Constantine but be wary of its reportedly mediocre treatment. Enjoy some Doner, the Turkish specialty in one of the many small and cheap places along Istiklal Avenue or choose one of the slightly costlier restaurants or cafes before heading off for an afternoon of shopping at the world’s oldest shopping mall, the Grand Bazaar(Kapali Çarsi). With over 4000 shops and plenty of magical lamps and flying carpets hiding in a back alley stall, the market has something for everyone ready to bargain, or just out to explore.
Nightlife has recently exploded in Istanbul and with all the culture and energy in the city, get ready for some outrageously good times across the city, no matter what your fancy is. |
