Istanbul
Istanbul ,one of the great historical cities of the world, is the
only city in the world located upon two continents with one arm reaching out to
Asia and the other arm to Europe. Through the
city's heart runs the sea channel called the Bosphorus which reaches north to
The Black Sea and south to the Marmara
Sea.
The channel is in average 2 km wide, near
Rumeli Hisar even only 750m.
The name Bosphorus comes from the mystic
person ,Io', who swam through the channel after having been made a cow (Bosphorus
means ,Furth des Ochsen' in German).
Istanbul is located in the Marmara region of Turkey and is a
major seaport city as well as an industrial, commercial, educational and
financial center and trade center. The city is divided into three parts - the old
city , the new
city and the Asiatic side. The old town and new town
which encompass the greater part of the city are located in Europe.
The old city, where the majority of
historical monuments are found, lies along the Golden Horn.
The most famous of these monuments are St.Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, The
Wall of Theodosius, Topkapi Palace, Suleymaniye Mosque, Underground Cistern,
St.Eirene, St.Saviour in Chora, Archeological Museum,
Grand Bazaar and the Spice Market.
The new part of the city displays a modern impression of Istanbul
with its skyscrapers and luxurious shopping centers, but, at the same time, one
is reminded of Istanbul's
history.
The Asiatic side of the city is a mixture of
modern houses, wooden villas as well as historical sites
Within the urban district of Istanbul in the Sea of Marmara, there are nine islands,
called Princess Islands, where Byzantine Princes used to
be exiled. The largest and the most popular one is Buyuk Ada, because the
island is larger and there are many things to see and do. The rest of the
popular islands are Kinali Ada, Burgaz Ada, Heybeli Ada, and Sedef Ada.
Three bridges are located in Istanbul. Two between the continents, the Bosphorus
Bridge and the Fatih Sultan
Mehmet Bridge.
The new Galata Bridge
and the Atatürk Bridge
connect the old and the new part of Istanbul
across the Golden Horn.
Within the last years Istanbul's population
grew dramatically. Today more than a half of the inhabitants live in not
planned suburbs of Istanbul.
The major water courses are rather polluted causing decline in the fishing
industry. Also, traffic on the water courses is a problem and seems to be
increasing. Air pollution is another concern since the center of manufacturing
was located near areas of greatest population density
