"ISTANBUL" Istanbul by LoriPori

Historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople, ISTANBUL is the largest city as well as the cultural, economic and financial center of Turkey. It is located in northwestern Turkey, on the Bosphorus Strait and extends both on the European and on the Asian sides of the Bosphorus, making it the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents.
Tourist attractions include the Grand Imperial Mosques Sultan Ahmed Mosque or the Blue Mosque, which I had the opportunity to visit in August, 1969. Also the Suleymaniye and Yeni Mosques, all of which were built at the peak of the Ottoman Empire, in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Istanbul has numerous historic shopping centers, such as the Grand Bazaar ( circa 1461), which I also had the opportunity to visit in August, 1969.