Istanbul historically Byzantium and
Constantinople; is the largest city in Turkey,
largest city proper and second largest
metropolitan area in Europe, and fourth largest
city proper in the world with a population of
12.6 million. Istanbul is also a mega city, as
well as the cultural and financial center of
turkey. The city covers 27 districts of the
Istanbul province. It is located on the Bosporus
strait and encompasses the natural harbor known
as the golden horn, in the northwest of the
country. It extends both on the European
(Thrace) and on the Asian (Anatolia) sides of
the Bosporus, and is thereby the only metropolis
in the world that is situated on two continents.
In its long history, Istanbul has served as the
capital city of the Roman Empire (330–395), the
(Byzantine) East Roman Empire (395–1204 and
1261–1453), the Latin Empire (1204–1261), and
the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922). The city was
chosen as joint European Capital of culture for
2010. The historic areas of Istanbul were added
to the UNESCO world heritage list in 1985.
Istanbul is an old city; you can see the remains
of many ancient civilizations and their culture
in harmony with Turkish culture. The old versus
the new, the traditional versus the modern is a
conflict a visitor often observes. The city is
full of contrasts, and colorful views,
Istanbul
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