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ISTANBUL
Istanbul, the land of historic splendours has now become one of the hottest, most exciting cities to visit in the world. Though its identity is not preserved as the capital city of Turkey, it is the largest one and arguably the most important too. Istanbul enjoys the special recognition as the only city in the world built on two continents, Europe and Asia. It is located on the shores of the Bosphorus (Bogaziçi) strait where the Black Sea is linked to the Mediterranean by the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn. This proximity to waterways has transformed and acclaimed the city of Istanbul as the largest port city of this region.
The history of Istanbul originates prominently from the point of its naming process. First the Greek founded it as the Byzantium, but under the Romans it was christened as Nova Roma. After the “not so welcome identity” of "the City of Constantine", Istanbul came into existence following the emergence of the Ottoman Turks. The eventful past of the city is evident from the beautiful palaces, gigantic mosques with soaring minarets, museums, bazaars and numerous hotels.
Geographically, Istanbul stretches till Marmara Sea in the south and Black Sea in the north. The western part of the city is in Europe and the eastern part rests in Asia. With such diversity in topography, the city attracts globetrotters all over the year and the humble Turkish people have opened their houses and apartments for rent to accommodate the tourists. While at Istanbul, travellers can make the most of their leisure by roaming around the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) or Topkapi Palace with a fascinating harem section. Every place of interest is in proximity to different categories of bed and breakfasts and other forms of accommodations. Tourists on a tight budget can pour into buying the oriental carpets, gold and silver jewellery, meerschaum pipes and the most extraordinary herbs and spices in the world, while saving their penny by staying at the reasonably priced hostels.
Istanbul by night
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Blue Mosque
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