Istanbul

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, with a population of 13.9 million, and is among the largest cities in the world by population within city limits. Istanbul TURKEY

Climate Winter is colder in Istanbul than in most other with low temperatures averaging 4–5 °C (39–41 °). Spring and autumn are mild, but often wet and unpredictable. The highest and lowest temperatures ever recorded in the city are 40.5 °C(105 °F) and −16.1 °C (3 °F), respectively.

Fog over Istanbul

Architecture Istanbul is primarily known for its Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, but its buildings reflect the various peoples and empires that have previously ruled the city.

Hagia Sophia

Sultanahmet Mosque

Culture Istanbul was historically known as a cultural hub, but its cultural scene stagnated after the Turkish Republic shifted its focus toward Ankara. The new national government established programs that served to orient Turks toward musical traditions, especially those originating in Europe.

Istanbul Archaeology Museums

Economy With a GDP of US$182 billion in 2008, Istanbul ranked 34th among the world's urban areas in terms of gross domestic product. Istanbul is responsible for 27 percent of Turkey's GDP, with 20 percent of the country's industrial labor force residing in the city.

The Levent business district is home to Istanbul's tallest buildings.

Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.

Bosphorus Bridge

The Bosphorus Bridge, also called the First Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul; thus connecting Europe and Asia It is 1,560 m (5,118 ft) long with a deck width of m (110 ft). The distance between the towers (main span) is 1,074 m (3,524 ft) and the total height of the towers is 165 m (541 ft).The clearance of the bridge from sea level is 64 m (210 ft).

Taksim Square

Taksim Square situated in the European part of Istanbul, is a major tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops, and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the central station of the Istanbul Metro network.

Topkapi Palace Seen From Harem.

The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years ( ) of their 624-year reign. Construction began in 1459, ordered by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople. At its peak, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people, and covered a large area with a long shoreline.

Hippodrome of Constantinople

The Hippodrome of Constantinople was a circus that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Today it is a square named Sultanahmet Meydanı in the Turkish city of Istanbul, with a few fragments of the original structure surviving.

Main building of Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum

The Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum is a museum located in Sultanahmet Square in Fatih district of Istanbul. Constructed in 1524, the building was formerly the palace of Damad İbrahim Pasha, who was the first grand vizier to Suleiman the Magnificent, and husband of the Sultan's sister.

Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). The cistern, located 500 feet (150 m) southwest of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.

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