Istanbul
Istanbul is the most popular tourist city and the most populated city in Turkey, it is the financial, cultural, and epicentre of all East meets West activity within Turkey.
Geographically situated on both sides of the narrow strait of the Bosphorus between the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea, the city actually bridges the continents of Europe and Asia in both a cultural and physical sense.
Due to its significant location and its large population it is was named one of the three top European Capitals of Culture for this year.
The main nightlife in Istanbul is centred in the district of Galata which contains most of the evening entertainment venues, and includes Taksim Square, Istiklal Street, and Beyoglu which offer many great accommodation options and plenty of sights.
The European side of Bosphorus is also a top tourism location as it is lined with water front museums, palaces, bohemian styled neighbourhoods, and mansions. For this reason a ferry ride or boat tour can be an excellent way to view the area and see what you would like to visit on dry land.
The Princes’ Islands are also a wonderful part of Bosphorus to visit as they range in sizes, are all car-free, and offer stunning views and pine forests while touring the islands by sea and travelling onto them.
For the most part, the city of Istanbul is divided geographically into three different areas, the area to the north and south of the region, the Istanbul Bogazi, which splits Asia and Europe, the western part of the city, which is formed by the Golden Horn estuary, and the southern area of the city which is bordered by the Sea of Mamara.
The heart of the region is found in the districts of Taskim, Beyoglue, and Galata, all of which are found in the North.
Although many people think that Istanbul has a desert like climate, the city actually lies along the same latitude line of New York City giving it a similar seasonal climate. In fact, it snows every winter in the city although for the most part the area experiences a mixture of sleet and rain.
Summers however are very hot and average temps of 18C at night and 27C during the day time. Although it gets extremely warm during the summer, rain is very rare and when it does the showers only last about fifteen minutes making it an ideal time to visit if you can tolerate the heat.
Driving in Istanbul is very hectic with very few people following the traffic rules and streets that are often left unmarked. Thus, public transportation is the best option although it can be hard to figure out at first given that maps can be hard to find.
All metro services including the metro, boat, tram, or bus use a token system which can be purchased at all travel stations and are available for a flat rate regardless of which system you choose to use.
