Teeming with life, multi-faceted, exotic, colourful and just a
little bit mad. This city assaults the senses, provides endless
opportunities for fun, exploration and entertainment, and has an
infectious vibe. It's Istanbul - like nowhere else on earth.
Divided by the Bosphorus strait, this meeting point of Asia and
Europe is a melting pot of history, culture and tradition. Its
population of approaching 15 million makes Istanbul the largest
city in Turkey, and the fifth largest in the world.
Istanbul's advantageous location has, to a great extent,
determined its role in history, and the city has been the capital
of the Roman, Ottoman, and Byzantine empires. These empires have
all contributed to the history and culture that make this city what
it is today. With a history dating back 300 thousand years,
Istanbul is a mosaic of many cultures and civilisations and -
through its monuments and people - provides a fascinating view of
this history.
