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The European side of the city is a
trade and business center, whereas the Asian side is more of a
residential area. Istanbul is established on the both sides of
the Bosphorus, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of
Marmara, and separates Asia
and Europe. The 7 km. long narrow inlet, named as the Golden
Horn, divides the European side of the city into two. Because of
its location between Asia and Europe, the city always had a
great geopolitical importance.
Today, Istanbul is still a political and commercial center for
the Balkan and Middle Eastern Countries and the Turkic Republics
of Central Asia.The settlement, known as Byzantium after its founder, took the
name Constantinople, the city of Emperor Constantine', during
the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.
It was then known as Istanbul after the conquest of the Ottomans,
and became one of the biggest and the most crowded city of
Europe.
The city is spread over an area of 7.500 km2, 150 km. long and
50 km. wide.
Although its population is not occurately
known, it is an estimated 12 to 15 million. Because of the
continuous immigration from the rural areas, the city grows
rapidly and the population increases around half a million every
year. Each year, 1.000 new streets are constructed within the
city, and brand new settlements rise on the east west axis. The
population of the city, with a %5 annual increase, doubles in
every 12 years. One out of every five citizens, is living in
Istanbul.
Around 2 million tourists visit Istanbul
every year, and admire the historical and natural beauties of
the city. The city has A lots of the finest monuments and
museums of Turkey.
Istanbul, where East and West, Asia and
Europe meets, is a world city that different cultures and
religions create the most harmonious synthesis. With particular
consideration of historical monuments and cultural richness,
Istanbul may only be compared to Rome, which carries so many
similar characteristics. In Rome and in Istanbul, which was the
capital for both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires,
administrators and governors constructed the greatest religious
and civil structures, and decorated their capital cities with
the most beautiful works of the famous architects.
The Bosphorus is unparalleled for its natural
beauties such as the Golden Horn and the Islands. Its moderate
climate, active • night life, lovely people, and the excellent
Turkish Cuisine are some of the other factors, which make
Istanbul an attractive destination for the foreigners.
A foreigner wishing to know Istanbul closely
should spend at least a week in this beautiful city.
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