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With its vital strategic location and fascinating natural beauty, Istanbul is the only major city in the world that links two continents and many cultures and religions. Three powerful empires ruled the world from this beautiful city, the Roman, the Byzantines and the Ottomans. At every return in the city you are faced with the traces of their presence- the ancient walls, impressive hippodromes, beautiful churches, monasteries, magnificent palaces, striking mosques… For more than 3000 years, Istanbul has been at crossroads of cultures, a rendezvous of the East and West and has acquired a highly original personality. Yet the city is not living only in its past. It is a vibrant, modern and future-oriented city, not only the capital of economy but also of art and culture.

Istanbul is hot. And we’re not talking about the weather. These days, there are more happening restaurants, bars, galleries and clubs around town than there are exquisite Ottoman mosques (and that’s a lot). The international fashion and design press have been talking up Ýstanbul ad nauseam, but the most significant thing about the accolade ‘World’s Hippest City’ is that Ýstanbullus themselves have come believe it. The creeping sense of decrepitude that had fallen like a pall over their once-all-powerful home town has vanished, replaced by a sense of energy and innovation not seen since the days of Süleyman the Magnificent.

The city’s over-abundance of important historic buildings and exciting new art galleries and museums provides visitors with more than enough to see during the day, but it’s at night that the place swings into high-velocity, mega-stylish action. Locals are flocking to see and be seen at an ever-growing array of bars, clubs and restaurants, bringing with them an infectious sense of joie de vivre and a discerning ability to judge these places on their standard of service, drinks, music and food as well as their position in the what’s-hot-and-what’s-not stakes.
That’s not to say that the locals are turning their backs on much-loved city institutions such as the raký-soaked meyhane (tavern) or tranquil çay bahçesi (tea garden), because they wouldn’t dream of doing anything so foolish. They know, after all, that such institutions are one of the reasons that their home is – and always has been – rightfully dubbed the ‘City of the World’s Desire’.

Istanbul is Europe's most populous city (the world's 4th largest city proper and 20th largest urban area) and Turkey's cultural and financial center. The city covers 27 districts of the Istanbul province. It is located on the Bosphorus Strait, and encompasses the natural harbor known as the Golden Horn, in the northwest of the country. The city was chosen as joint European Capital of Culture for 2010. The historic areas of Istanbul were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

The tourism offerings found within Istanbul are amongst the best that Turkey has, ranging from traditional architecture to the bustling market activities of the Grand Bazaar, which is nothing short of a shopping Mecca and encompasses some 58 different streets and sees up to 400,000 shoppers each day. Istanbul is home to many impressive remnants from the Turkish Ottoman Empire, such as historical mosques and grand palaces, as well as Turkish bathhouses (Hamams) and museums packed with information.

Boat trips along the Bosphorus (Istanbul Strait) are recommended, as are the wining and dining opportunities along both the Istiklal Caddesi and the Nevizade Sokak. Tourists will always find themselves drawn to the enormous Byzantine dome at the ancient Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia) basilica, which is the city's most famous monument and the biggest cathedral on the planet for almost 1,000 years.