"Middle East & Europe Combined Into One " a Istanbul Travel Page by Greatwalk0

Istanbul is nearly the perfect city for tourism! It has SOOOO many interesting places to see, a fascinating history, some great restaurants, and an unbelievable selection of hotels, which accommodate all budgets.

One of my favorite places was the Basilica Cistern, in historic Sultanhamet. Built in the 6th Century by Emperor Justinian (Byzantine Empire), this cathedral-sized cistern is an underground chamber of 143 by 65 metres, capable of holding 80,000 cubic metres of water. The large space is broken up by a forest of 336 marble columns each 9 metres high. The columns are arranged in 12 rows each consisting of 28 columns. The shear size of this place, not to mention its history, is great! When the Ottoman's took over Istanbul in 1299, the massive cistern was completely forgotten about for fifty years and only rediscovered by a tax collector when inspecting the small home that houses the cistern's only entrance - they then began using the cistern has a place to store thousands of dead bodies.

Once you have gotten your fix of all the facinating Ottomon and Byzentine history that Istanbul has to offer, make your way up to Taksim Square - the metropolitan and social heart of Istanbul. Here you will find hundreds of bars and restaurants, an unmatched nightlife, and truly unique energy.

Taksim Square also has a lot of nice hotels, which are slightly cheaper than those in Sultanhamet and offer more for the buck.