Europe and Asia meet in Istanbul, and throughout this vibrant city, you’ll find centuries-old mosques, churches and markets happily co-existing with modern restaurants, galleries and nightclubs.
Here are few unusual and not so known facts about Istanbul
• While being the ancient capital of many empires, from Rome to the Ottoman era, it is not the capital of modern Turkey.
• Used to be called as Constantinople thanks to the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great
• Although it is not the capital, Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city with more than 13 million people.
• Tulips, the symbol of Holland, originated in Istanbul.
• The Grand Bazaar is the biggest old covered bazaar in the world, with over 3.000 shops.
• British author Agatha Christie wrote her famous novel “Murder on the Orient Express” at Pera Palas Hotel in Istanbul.
• It is surrounded by sea, with the Bosphorus cutting right through it. And yet, snow is common in the city.
• Originally named the Tower of Christ, the Galata Tower was built in 1348 at the apex of fortified walls and was used to house prisoners of war, later became an observatory, but now offers a 360-degree viewing gallery of the city.
• It has been a noted inspiration for authors from Paul Theroux and Ernest Hemingway to Orhan Pamuk and Abdülhak Sinasi Hisar.
• It was once renowned as the most crowded city in the world – in 1502.
• It has the third oldest subway in the world, built in 1875.
Created by Visko - viskostudio@gmail.com October 2018 Enjoy some Turkish music ->