This magical meeting place of East and West has more top-drawer attractions than it has minarets.
İstanbul's strategic location has attracted many marauding armies over the centuries. The Byzantine Empire, The Roman Period, The Roman Empire, The Eastern Roman Empire, The Revival of the Eastern Roman Empire, The Conquest of Constantinople before the Ottomans stormed into town and decided to stay – physical reminders of their various tenures are found across the city. İstanbul is a city of contradictions––part Europe and part Asia, part ancient empire and part modern democracy, part bustling metropolis and part quiet byways. The city today known as Istanbul has been the site of human settlement for approximately three thousand years.
The history of the city is discussed, from the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453 up to the beginning of the twentieth century when the Ottoman Empire was finally dismantled following the First World War. The ancient part of the city is still partially surrounded by the Walls of Constantinople, erected in 5th century by the Emperor Theodosius II to protect the city from invasion. The city has many architecturally significant entities. There are many historical mosques, churches, synagogues, palaces, castles and towers to visit in the city.
These days the Ottoman Empire may be a distant memory, but the distinct food cultures included within it live on, and many of them can still be found here in modern Istanbul. You can eat many kind of world classics if you so choose, but most visitors prefer to sample the succulent kebaps, flavoursome mezes and freshly caught fish that are the city's signature dishes, washing them down with the national drink, Rakı.
Istanbul is a very good city. It's not very safe at night but as everywhere. Don't stay alone in the street at night but in some areas like Istiklal Street. You have a lot of thing to do. Beautiful museum, very good food, blue mosque... the bosphorus, you can also take the boat to go to the beach on summer. You can find bank and change offices almost everywhere. You have a lot of thing to do in istanbul. Beautiful museum, very good food, blue mosque... the bosphorus, you can also take the boat to go to the beach on summer.
You can find bank and exchange offices almost everywhere. You should know that you will spend Turkish lira in Istanbul. You must convert your money in dollars or euros that you bring with you at exchange offices.