The City and ITS People
        Istanbul is one of the worlds most venerable cities. Part
        of the citys allure is its setting, where Europe faces Asia acr­oss
        the winding turquoise waters of the Bosphorus, making it the only city
        in the world to bridge two continents.
        Here, where the waters of the Black Sea blend into the
        Aegean, East and West mingle and merge in the cultural melting-pot of
        Turkeys largest metropolis. Busy Oriental bazaars co-­exist with
        European shops; kebab-shops and coffee-houses sit alongside
        international restaurants; modern office buildings and hotels alternate
        with Ottoman min­arets along the citys skyline; traditional music and
        Western pop, belly-dancing and ballet, Turkish wrestling and football
        all compete for the attention of the Istanbullu audience.
        This is the only city in the world to have been the capital
        of both an Islamic and a Christian empire. As Constantinople, jewel of
        the Byzantine Empire, it was for more than 1,000 years the most
        important city in Christendom. As Istanbul it was the seat of the
        Ottoman sultans, rulers of a 500-year Islamic empire that stretched
        from the Black Sea and the Balkans to Arabia and Algeria.
        Istanbul owes its long-held historical significance to a
        stra­tegic location at the mouth of the Bosphorus. From this vantage
        point the city could control not only the ships that passed through the
        strait on the important trade route between the Black Sea and the
        Mediterranean, but also the overland traffic travelling from Europe
        in­­to Asia Minor, which used the narrow strait as a crossing point. In
        the words of the 16th-century French traveller Pierre Gilles: The
        Bosphorus with one key opens and closes two worlds, two seas. 
        That strategic advantage is no less important today than it
        was 2,500 years ago, when a band of Greeks first founded the city of
        Byzantium on this very spot. Ankara may be the official capital of
        modern Tur­key, but Istanbul remains the countrys largest city, most
        important commercial centre, and busiest port, producing more than
        one-third of Turkeys man­u­­­facturing out­­put. The Bosphorus is one
        of the worlds most active shipping lanes, and the overland traffic is
        now carried by two of the worlds longest suspension bridges.
        The thriving city has long since spread beyond the
        fifth-century Byzantine walls built by the Emperor Theodosius II, and
        now sprawls for miles along the shores of the Sea of Marmara on both
        the European and Asian sides. Back in 1507 this was the worlds largest
        city, with a population of 1.2 million. That figure has now passed 10
        million and is still growing, swollen by a steady influx of people from
        rural areas looking for work (more than half the population was born in
        the provinces). These new arrivals have created a series of
        shanty-towns around the perimeter of the city. Their makeshift homes,
        known in Turkish as gecekondu (built by night), take advantage of an
        old Ottoman law that protects a house whose roof has been built during
        the hours of darkness. The slums are eventually knock-ed down to make
        way for new tower-blocks — a new suburb is created, yet another
        shanty-town springs up beyond it, and Istanbul spreads out a little
        farther.
        At the other end of the social spectrum are the wealthy
        Istanbullus, who live in the upmarket districts of Taksim, Harbiye, and
        Ni«anta«ı, where the streets are lined with fashion boutiques,
        expensive apartments, and stylish cafés. Those belonging to this set
        are the lucky few who frequent the citys more expensive restaurants
        and casinos, and retire at the weekends to their restored wooden
        mansions (yalı) along the Bosphorus. But most of Istanbuls inhabitants
        fall between these two extremes, living in modest flats and earning an
        average wage in the offices, shops, banks, and factories that provide
        most of the citys employment.
        Although small Armenian, Greek Orthodox, Jewish, and
        Catholic communities survive, the majority of Istanbullus are Muslim,
        and adhere to the principles known as the Five Pillars of Islam —  to
        believe with all ones heart that There is no God but God, and
        Mohammed is his Prophet; to pray five times a day, at dawn, midday,
        afternoon, sunset, and after dark; to give alms to the poor, and
        towards the upkeep of the mosques; to fast between sunrise and sunset
        during the month of Ramadan; and to try to make the pilgrimage to Mecca
        at least once in ones lifetime. Those who have made the pilgrimage can
        add the respected title haci before their names, an honour proudly
        displayed on shop-owners signs.
        Just as the Bosphorus separates Asia from Europe, so the
        inlet called the Golden Horn separates the old Istanbul from the new.
        The main attractions for the visitor are concentrated in the historic
        heart of old Istanbul. Three great civilizations have shaped this part
        of the city — Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. Though little remains from
        Roman times, the citys Byzantine legacy boasts Haghia Sophia, the
        Church of the Divine Wisdom and one of the worlds greatest buildings;
        the magnificent mosaics of St. Saviour in Chora; and the impressive
        Theodosian Walls. The Ottomans built countless mosques in their
        capital, the finest of which is the Süleymaniye, inspired by the form
        of the Haghia Sophia. But the most popular tourist sight is Topkapı
        Palace, the home of the Ottoman sultans, where the riches of the
        Imperial Treasury and the intrigue of the Harem draw many thousands of
        visitors each year.
        From the belvedere in the treasury of the palace, where the
        Sultan used to gaze down upon his fleet, you can look across the mouth
        of the Golden Horn to the modern district of Beyolu, where
        multi-storey hotels rise beyond the turret of the Galata Tower. Down by
        the shore of the Bosphorus is the glittering fa­çade of the
        19th-century Dolmabahçe Palace, while beyond stretches the graceful
        span of the Bosphorus Bridge, a concrete symbol of the city, linking
        Europe with Asia.
        Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul — down the centuries
        the city has been open to influences from both East and West, and this
        cross-fertilization of ideas has created one of the worlds liveliest,
        most engaging, and most hospitable cultures. It is neither European nor
        Oriental, but an unparalleled and intoxicating blend; it is, quite
        simply, unique.