Istanbul is often described as ‘the crossroads of Europe and Asia’ - a heaving bazaar-city of carpets and caravanserais with an imperial history stretching back for more than 1,500 years.
This metropolis of an estimated 15 million occupies both sides of an east-west land bridge divided by the 32km (20-mile) Bosphorus Strait, which also connects the trade routes of the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and the Mediterranean.
As a result, the city has been a jealously guarded centre of world trade since the Byzantine era, and protected by water on three sides, with the natural harbour of the Golden Horn nestled within the city.
Even after Constantinople (as it was previously known) fell to the Ottoman Sultans in 1453, the city remained (and it still is) the trading post for valuable spices and textiles brought via the Silk Road from as far away as China.
Its prime position has meant that Istanbul has suffered from frequent sieges, changing from a Hellenic outpost to New Rome, the world’s first Christian capital, and the seat of the world’s biggest Muslim Empire. Its identity today combines that of both eastern and European.
Fragments of this varied architectural inheritance are visible, with stunning Ottoman mosques, classical columns, Byzantine structures, ancient city walls and fine churches.
Added to this, rapid industrialisation has drawn thousands of rural poor to the metropolis, resulting in a vast social gap between ‘natives’ and migrants and a growth rate at treble the national average. The city’s wealthy elite live in the newly built suburbs and enjoy the sophistication of Istanbul’s café society, designer shops, thriving nightlife (over 60% of Istanbullites are under 25 years old) and vibrant contemporary cultural life.
Turkey suffered an appalling economic crisis in 2000, caused by the huge earthquake in 1999, which was followed by the repercussions of 9/11 attacks. This caused record high unemployment and inflation and, paradoxically, increased competition and vast devaluation of the Turkish Lira leading to foreign tourists taking advantage of excellent prices.
The 2002 elections saw a new prime minister (Recep Erdogan, leader of the moderate Islamic AK party) at the helm, guiding the way to a more stable economy, with inflation down to around 7.7% in 2005, a 30-year low.
Istanbul suffered from Islamic terrorism in November 2003, with several simultaneous bomb attacks in the heart of the city, targeting synagogues and western and financial centres, and resulting in dozens of deaths.
Turkey recently made long overdue and internationally welcomed improvements to its human rights, hoping for future entry into the EU. When (and indeed if) that happens largely depends on the other influential EU members.
Istanbul is buzzing more than ever. The local Belediye (council) has been noticeably smartening up the slightly tatty central area, the arts and music scene is flourishing, and more international fashion chains are on thriving pedestrian avenue Istiklal Caddesi than ever before. New bars, clubs, private art galleries and restaurants open up all the time, especially in Beyoglu, and the city seems more funky and cosmopolitan than ever with its young people even more keen on cultural expression.
Istanbul’s climate is, in the main, a Mediterranean one, although it is affected by climatic variations due to its location on the Marmara Sea and Bosphorus. Summers are hot and winters cold, with spring and autumn usually sunny and warm although they can be changeable. Light snow is common in the winter.