About Istanbul
ISTANBUL : The CITY of Old Civilizations and Wonderful Natural Sights
The Geography and Orientation
Istanbul is situated at the junction point between 29th longitude and
41st parallel between the two Continents, Europe and Asia, meeting one another on each side
of Bosphorus Strait, surrounded by the Black Sea on the North, the Marmara Sea on the South,
the Tekirdag Province on the West, the Kocaeli Province on the East, and has an area of 5110 sq
kms (Of which 1930 sq. kms is urbanized city) and about 12 million inhabitants originating from different regions of Turkey.
Here is the map of the destinations (places to see) described in this page.
The Climate
As a region, Istanbul is located on the intersection of Black Sea and
Mediterranean climates. The Summer is between June and October, sunny and warm. The Spring
starts on April, ends on June, sunny and rainy. Autumn is between October and December
,sometimes sunny and rainy. The winter is between December and April, sometimes sunny,
rainy and snowy.
Places to See in Istanbul
Museum of St. Sophia (Hagia Sophia): The former church of St. Sophia is the undisputed sovereign of Istanbul's First Hill. Constantin the Great is reputed to have built a basilica here in
325 on the site of a pagan temple. Destroyed twice by fire, it was rebuilt, from 532 to 537 by the Emperor Justinian, who dedicated it to the Holy Wisdom of God (in Greek, Hagia Sophia.
It is one of the most remarkable buildings ever erected anywhere. The finest materials known from Rhodes, Rome, Ephesus, Thessaly and even Africa went into its construction.  The minarets were added after the Turkish Conquest of 1453, when St. Sophia was converted into a mosque. Mehmet The Conqueror's first act on taking Constantinople was to visit St. Sophia, and the first ritual prayers of the new ruler were performed here. The famous architect Sinan strenghtened the buttresses in the 16th century, and the most recent restoration carried out in the last century. In 1935 Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish Republic proclaimed St. Sophia a museum.
 Topkapi Palace (Up: as seen from the Golden Horn):
Ancient residence of the Ottoman sultans, Topkapi Palace was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1462. Every succeeding sultan added something to the palace, which gradually became a royal city comprising mosques, bath-houses, mint, schools, libraries, residences, gardens and fountains, built around four main courtyards.
 The first Court is entered through the Imperial Gate (Bab-i Humayun), built in 1478. Then come gardens, lawns and sweeping trees, providing the right dreamlike atmosphere for penetrating further into the mysterious universe of the Sultans.
To the right of the gate lie the enormous kitchens built by Mehmet the Conqueror and Beyazit II. in the 15th century. Today the kitchens house a precious collection of Chinese Porcelain as well as European crystal and porcelain. There are 10,512 pieces of Chinese porcelain alone at Topkapi, of which the majority has to be kept in storage.
 If nothing else, you must visit the harem. In origin of the word means "sacred" or "set apart". The sultan, his mother, wives (of whom he was allowed four) and innumberable concubines all lived in this dim network of staircases, corridors, bedrooms and bathrooms, in a stifling world of ambitious intrigue. The main preoccupation of the womenfolk was to produce a male child, and then to assure his accession to the throne. It was also a claustrophobic, unnatural world of jealousy and unhappiness; you may sense the troubled atmosphere lingering in the dusty sunlight and complicated decor.
Museums in Istanbul: Three exceptional museums
are placed conveniently next to one another in a nearby courtyard.  Even if you're not a history lover, don't miss the Archeological Museum (Arkeoloji Müzesi). It's one of the most famous in the world, especially reputed for its collection of sarcophagi. Among them is the sarcophag of Alexander the Great
The Museum of the Ancient Orient (Eski Sark Eserleri Müzesi) displays a rich collection of objects from ancient Near and Middle Eastern civilizations. Among them are Babylonian panels from the time of King Nebuchadnezzar (605-562 B.C.), statuettes from Mesopotamia and clay tablets bearing Hammurabi's law code.
Grand Bazaar (Covered Market, Kapali Charshi): Call it what you will,  the Grand Bazaar looks like Ali Baba's cave and sounds like the trading post for the Tower of Babel. This is the biggest oriental market in the world. It's like a complete city, with many domed roof. There are quiet alleys, lively crossroads and main streets. Mehmet the Conqueror had a covered market on the site in 1461. I t has been reconstructed several times after destruction by fire and earthquake. Nowadays it contains about 4000 shops, as well as banks, cafes, restaurants and mosques. The most ancient part is the Old Bedesten at the centre, kept for more valuable merchandise since it can be securely locked at night.
 Even if you've no intention of buying anything, visit the Covered Market for a distillation of Istanbul and Turkey. It's a kaleidoscope of constantly-changing brilliance. Voices call out in a dozen languages. Water-sellers come jangling by; incredibly strong men, hamal, lumber past, harnessed into a kind of leather saddle and transporting anything up to a sofa and chairs on their backs.
There is a wide range of merchandise in the Grand Bazaar all of oriental origin; including clothing, dishes, carpets, spice, leather and souvenirs made of different materials such as gold, silver, copper, wood etc.
The History
Archeologists found some remainings from stone age nearby Istanbul and also from bronze
age, which are remainings of old settlements on the Asian Part of the City. Recently a
Phrygian Settlement has been discovered on the Asian Side, which might be as old as 3100
years. According to a legend and a soothsaying (oracle) from the Apollo Temple of Delphi island Byzas, who should be the leader of the migrants from
Megara or the king of Thracians, should have come to the area in the 7th Century BC and let
build a city "on the other side of the city of blind people". As they were on the european side, they had seen a settlement on the asian
side of Bosphorus. As Byzas should have told to his tribe that the people of the other side
settlement must be blind, because they could not see the european side of the Bosphorus
Strait, which was much more wonderful. So he lets build there a city with his name, as
Byzas-City, Byzantion. The city becomes Roman territory after being taken by Septimus Severus
in the 2nd Century AD and later in the 4th Century AD has been named " Nova Roma : New Rom "
by the Roman Emperor Constantin the Great, whose name was
given later to the city as "Constantinopolis : Constantinople" and finaly Istanbul.
During the reigns of Roman Emperors from second until 6th Century A.D. many buildings such as
the Hippodrome, the Emperors' Palaces, the Underground Cisterns, the famous churches of Saint
Irene (holy peace), Saint Sophia (holy wisdom), Chora (church on the outer side of the city) etc. were built. Istanbul had been plundered by gothic invasion in the 3th century A.D. The
crusaders had invaded the city for about two centuries. After having been organized in Antiochia and mainly in Ephesus of Turkey by Virgin Mary, Saint John the Theologian, Saint Luke, Saint Paul, the christianity had been accepted as one
of the legal religions of the state in the year 330 by Constantin the Great. The Emperor Theodosius
the 2nd had announced Christianity the sole and legal religion of the State in the year 395. The
Ottomans have conquered Istanbul in the year 1453 and made the city the third capital of the Ottoman Empire
until 1920, where they have built many mosques such as Sultan Suleyman Mosque, Sultan Ahmet
(Blue) Mosque etc. and also bridges, streets, carawanserails, hospitals, libraries, medresas
(Koran Schools), sultans' and pashas' Palaces (Such as Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahçe Palace,
Beylerbeyi Palace, Yildiz Palace etc. on each side of the bosphorus strait.)
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