ISTANBUL-Istanbul's History, Chronology, The City On The Seven Hills

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.