ISTANBUL'S 101 BEST PLACES TO TRAVEL

Dear Traveller,
“ISTANBUL TOP 101” is a website consisting of the top 101 places and additional informative pages which all reflect the Istanbul’s own atmosphere. The main purpose of this website is to provide you sufficient touristic informations especially when you come to Turkey and Istanbul. Some of the TOP 101 places included in this website may have been included in similar websites. But this website is the only example among the similar ones that combine all the neccesary informations for a tourist who come to Istanbul to recognize and apply during trip. This website includes 101 TOP touristic places in Istanbul, the addresses and contact informations of these places, their historical reviews and importances, pictures and also 12 informative pages about several issues. With all this matarials, this website represents a unique example.

We divided all main parts into subparts according their some features and we called them as groups. Some of these groups are: squares, historical bazaars, palaces etc. You may visit one or more places in a single group. But our suggestion to you is that you try to visit 101 places. All of them may take maximum 3 weeks. You may also try to complete only half of them so this is also a very important for you just because most tourists coming to Istanbul do not see more than 20 places. If you spend some high money for your trip to any city, you have to visit as much places as possible. This is our main point of view on tourism

In the group of square, we underlined some words. These words represent the touristic places which you can see and also understand the importance of those squares. We gave sufficient information about how you should plan your trip, however you can also use this (group -->importance --> places) strategy to decide places you will visit. Under every place, you can see contact informations, addresses, arrivals and special notes. Most of these informations are valid for a long time. But some of them (especially opening-closing times and prices) may change in future. So, we recommend you to control all these important issues by contacting relevant directorates via phone or websites

Please do not forget to write your comments after reading webpages so that your comments will help someone else to decide where they visit or what they should do in Istanbul. We hope you will enjoy reading “ISTANBUL TOP 101”. Have a good time in Istanbul..

ISTANBUL

Istanbul is a world city. Everyone should visit at least once during life. This is the only city in the world built on two continents. It had long been coveted by powerful empires. Firstly, it served as capital to Byzantine, and then to the Ottoman Empire. Istanbul stretches along the shores of the Bosphorus (two shores) that links the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea. It is the largest city of Turkey with a population of over 12 million. Istanbul represents the heart of the economy of Turkey. Many large companies and banks, the media and advertising agencies all have their headquarters in Istanbul.

Istanbul is also the capital of art and culture with a rich tradition in opera and ballet, art exhibitions, auctions, theatres, concerts, festivals, conferences and unique museums. Bazaars and ultra-modern shopping centres and department stores, street vendors and stock brokers, old crumbling buildings and skyscrapers coexist. Istanbul is a blend of eastern and western cultures. Almost all highly visited places such as The Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, the jewel of Byzantine architecture, Süleymaniye Mosque and Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque are located here.

The Bosphorus divides the city into the European and Asian sides, linked by two magnificient bridges, spanning the continents. You should take a Bosphorus tour on a boat which zigzags from side to side. The European side, is divided in two by the Golden Horn or Haliç, which roughly divides the historic part of old Istanbul, encompassing the areas of, Sultanahmet and Laleli, from the modern city. It is crossed by a number of bridges, the most famous of which is the Galata Bridge

No problem wherever you choose to stay, it doesn't take much to make the most of the city. Istanbul's most famous sites (The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar) are within a 30 minute walk of each other. It is easy to get around on foot or by making use of the tram, which provides a regular service on the main streets. Taxis are plentiful and relatively cheap and there are also ‘dolmuş’ (shared taxi) and bus services. Most tour operators can arrange tours to see the main sights. There are a number of qualified hotels in the area of Sultanahmet, many of which are restored Ottoman mansions.

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