"Istanbul" a Istanbul Travel Page by mikelisaanna

Istanbul is Turkey's largest city, with a population of more than 10 million people. It is also one of the most interesting cities in the world, because it was the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires for 1500 years. It also straddles the border between Europe and Asia, which are separated only by the Bosporus strait, the narrow body of water that flows through the middle of the city. You can easily spend a week sightseeing in Istanbul and still have plenty left to see and do. In addition to tons of history, Istanbul also has plenty of good restaurants, nightlife, and scenery. We spent about 10 days in Istanbul and would like to return some day to see what we missed.

Many of the city's top attractions and historic sights are located in or near the Sultanahmet neighborhood of the the city's European side, including the Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia cathedral, the Basilica Cistern, the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Islamic Arts, the Egyptian Obelisk, and the Grand Bazaar. This area of Istanbul also has dozens of restaurants and cafes, as well as plenty of shops. It is by far the most convenient area in which to stay if visiting Istanbul as a tourist.

Further afield, we also enjoyed visiting the Dolmabahce Palace, the Chora Church, the Galata Tower, and the Beyoglu neighborhood. Another highlight of our Istanbul visit was a cruise up the Bosporus, which we did at sunset on our last night in the city.