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Travel Guide 2   >   Turkey   >   Towns and Cities   >   Istanbul

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Istanbul


Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey. It is located on the Bosphorus strait, and includes parts on both the European side (Thrace) and the Asian side (Anatolia) - making it the only city in the world that contains parts in two different continents. As of 2007, Istanbul had an estimated population of 11,008,790.

Istanbul has a very long history and has been known during its existence by a variety of different names (some of which are still in use in some parts of the world) including "Byzantium", "Constantinople", "Tsarigrad" and "Stamboul", although since 1930, the Turkish authorities have requested foreigners to refer to the city as "Istanbul", including in their own languages. In fact, if you were to send a letter to the city using any name other than "Istanbul", you will find that the Turkish postal service will refuse to deliver the letter!

The current city was founded in 324, on the site of the ancient Greek city of Byzantium, by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, and intended to become the new capital of the Roman Empire. The city was initially called "Nova Roma" (New Rome), but after Constantine's death in 337 it was renamed "Constantinople" (city of Constantine). The city was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, and later the Byzantine Empire (except for the period from 1204 to 1261, when it was ruled by Western European crusaders as the capital of the Latin Empire of Constantinople). The city remained the capital of the Byzantine Empire until it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 - the city then became the capital of Ottoman Empire, and remained so until the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1922.

Suleymaniye Camii Mosque on Hill Above City, Istanbul, Turkey
Suleymaniye Camii Mosque on Hill Above City, Istanbul, Turkey Photographic Print
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Istanbul, Turkey
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Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
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Artist: Phil Weymouth.
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Artist: Phil Weymouth.
Men Fishing on Bosphorus River, Istanbul, Turkey

 
 
Galata Bridge, Istanbul, Turkey
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Galata Bridge, Istanbul, Turkey

 
 
Market Area, Suleymaniye, Istanbul, Turkey
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Artist: Phil Weymouth.
Market Area, Suleymaniye, Istanbul, Turkey

 
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Rick Steves' Istanbul (Rick Steves)

By Lale Surmen Aran

Avalon Travel Publishing
Paperback (329 pages)

Rick Steves  Istanbul (Rick Steves)
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Product Description:
You can count on a Rick Steves guidebook to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Istanbul. Rick Steves’ Istanbul is a “tour guide in your pocket” to one of the world’s grandest cities. Walking in the footsteps of Byzantine emperors and Ottoman sultans, you’ll explore the city where Europe meets Asia. With this up-to-date advice, you’ll make the most out of your time and money, and have your pick of good-value hotels and restaurants. Self-guided walking tours lead you through historic mosques, ancient mosaic-speckled churches, bustling bazaars, and artifact-packed museums. You’ll find out where the locals go for sea-food and for the tastiest Turkish delight candies. In this Rick Steves guide, Lale Surmen Aran and Tankut Aran team up to guide you through the European — and Asian — city of Istanbul.

Istanbul (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

By DK Publishing

DK Travel
Turtleback (280 pages)

Istanbul (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
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Pocket Map and Guide Istanbul (EYEWITNESS POCKET MAP & GUIDE)

By DK Publishing

DK Travel
Paperback (80 pages)

Pocket Map and Guide Istanbul (EYEWITNESS POCKET MAP & GUIDE)
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Every visitor to Istanbul needs a good map and a good guidebook-now, for the first time, the two have been combined in a unique format at an unbeatable price. Perfectly sized to fit in a purse or back pocket, the Eyewitness Pocket Map & Guide is a fully illustrated guide to all the major sights-plus an ingenious fold-out map so you will never feel lost. The guide also includes restaurants, pubs, shops and a mini-phrasebook. It's all you need for a perfect day out and about-and for just $6.99.

Istanbul (City Guide)

By Virginia Maxwell

Lonely Planet
Paperback (284 pages)

Istanbul (City Guide)
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Discover Istanbul

Listen to the echoes of countless footsteps rising into the dome of the Aya Sofya
Savour the serene frescoes and glittering mosaics of the Chora Church
Watch the sunset while commuting between Asia and Europe on a Bosphorous ferry
Submit to a vigorous lathering and scrubbing in a historic hamam

In This Guide:

46 days of in-city research, 30 ferry trips, over 100 mezes eaten
Full-color chapters on the city's architectural treasures and Turkish cuisine
Locals discuss making a living in the bazaar, artistic traditions, bears and gender benders
Content updated daily - visit lonelyplanet.com for up-to-the-minute reviews, updates and traveler insights

Top 10 Istanbul (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE)

By DK Publishing

DK Travel
Paperback (128 pages)

Top 10 Istanbul (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE)
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Invaluable information from local experts,detailed maps and color photos will help you discover the best of everything from restaurants and hotles to shopping and cultural activities and much more.

Istanbul: The Imperial City

By John Freely

Penguin (Non-Classics)
Paperback (432 pages)

Istanbul: The Imperial City
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"Surrounded by a garland of waters" on the narrow straits of the Bosporus dividing Europe and Asia, Istanbul--formerly known as Constantinople--has been an unrivaled locus of cultural exchange since its beginnings as the Greek colony Byzantium. In its more than twenty-six centuries of existence the city has survived countless natural and political catastrophes, foreign conquests, and dynastic upheavals, enduring fantastic changes in religion, language, political status, and name. Despite these onslaughts of time, a vibrant local character and spirit have abided. This fascinating history of the city from its foundation to the present is a guide for the curious traveler as well as an evocation of an illustrious past.
Also included is a comprehensive gazetteer of all major monuments and museums

Wallpaper City Guide: Istanbul (Wallpaper City Guide)

By Editors of Wallpaper Magazine

Phaidon Press
Paperback (120 pages)

Wallpaper City Guide: Istanbul (Wallpaper City Guide)
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Wallpaper* City Guides are an exciting, stylish new concept in travel guides published by Phaidon Press and Wallpaper* magazine. Glamorous, global and affordable, the new travel guides can be acquired for only $8.95 and feature the world's greatest cities, from Barcelona to Buenos Aires, Istanbul to Sydney, London to Los Angeles. Aimed at the design conscious traveller, the guides offer just the right amount of insider knowledge on the world's most popular cities, from where to stay and what to visit, to where you should eat, shop and be seen. Ideal for a weekend break or business travel, their discreet, pocket sized format tells you everything you need to know, giving you the inside track on what can not be found anywhere else. The guides have been compiled by Wallpaper* magazine's international editors and travel writers who have lived in the featured cities. They provide up-to-the-minute information and authoritative advice on the hottest of venues in the coolest of cities. Each guide will be updated annually to ensure they remain the authoritative last word' on the city concerned. The guides are divided into sections on Landmarks, Hotels, 24 Hours, Urban Life, Architour, Shopping, Sports and Spas, and Escapes. In addition, each one features a local resident recommending their own favourite places to visit in that city and sharing their insider knowledge. Maps and aerial photography are included for easy navigation and orientation and there is even a notebook to record personal discoveries and recommendations. Each section is subtly tabbed with a different color to make it easy for you to find the information you need. Wallpaper* City Guides are the result of a dynamic, joint publishing partnership between Wallpaper* magazine and Phaidon Press. Whether you are indulging in long weekend and want to know which room to book in which hotel, or have a free afternoon on a business trip and would love to escape and explore, the Wallpaper* City Guides offer a stylish and original alternative.The complete list of launch cities includes Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Istanbul, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, New York, Paris, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney and Tokyo.

On Foot to the Golden Horn: A Walk to Istanbul

By Jason Goodwin

Picador
Paperback (288 pages)

On Foot to the Golden Horn: A Walk to Istanbul
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Amazon.com:
Though classified as a travel book, On Foot to the Golden Horn could just as easily fall under history. Don't roll your eyes: it is the story of an incredible voyage, full of encounters with fascinating people and landscapes. But its backdrop is one of the most important historical moments of the late 20th century--Eastern Europe at the beginning of the 1990s. Goodwin's motives initially had nothing to do with this moment: fascinated by the history of Istanbul, he vows to reach the place as a visitor would have during its Byzantine heyday--on foot. As a result, he and his friends find themselves tramping through Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria as the Iron Curtain falls all around them.

Goodwin's arduous journey proves an excellent allegory for the struggles these nations faced as the Eastern bloc crumbled, the combination of backbreaking hardship and a faint glimmer of hope, almost impossibly far off in the distance. As a result, Goodwin is able to seamlessly fuse the rich and checkered past of the lands around him to the tales of his own struggle towards the Istanbul of his imagination. The result is an experience that would be impossible to duplicate. Since his visit, eastern Europe has undergone sweeping changes; we will never have the chance to visit the lands that he saw. But thanks to Goodwin's skill and diligence, we have the next best thing. --Andrew Nieland


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