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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. 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. Manufactures include ship building,
glass, textiles, shoes and cement. The city's inhabitants is about twelve
million.
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 Asiatic side can be reached from the
European side by two bridges, the Bosphorus Bridge, one of the world's
longest suspension bridges and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. The Old City
and the New City are separated by the Golden Horn, an inlet of the Bosphorus. It is a natural channel seven km long and is connected by two
bridges, the Galata Bridge and Atatürk Bridge.
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 by the wooden houses bordering
the Bosphorus and historical sites such as Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan
Palace, Galata Tower, Nusretiye Mosque, Clock Tower, Yildiz Palace, Rumeli
Fortress, etc.
The Asiatic
side of the city is a mixture of modern houses, lovely wooden villas as
well as historical sites such as Anadolu Fortress, Beylerbeyi Palace,
Kucuksu Kasri, Hidiv Kasri, Leanders Tower, Cinili Mosque, etc.
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, such as dining in the fish
restaurants, visiting places to worship (mosque, churches, synagogues),
fishing, swimming, hiking, donkey riding, cycling, boating, touring the
island by horse and carriage, and picnicking. The island is famous for wooden
mansions, well kept flower gardens and acres and acres of pine trees.
The rest of
the popular islands are Kinali Ada, Burgaz Ada, Heybeli Ada, and Sedef Ada.
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