In my recent visit to Istanbul I have seen the city’s true beauty, from the historic buildings of the Ottoman Empire to the wonderfully designed mosques that bring thousands to its halls at the call of prayer, from the high street markets to the local bazaars. The city is a mix of culture and technology. This can be seen from the marvellous Bosphorus River that divides both Asia and Europe. To the left is the traditional Istanbul with the monumental palaces and mosques, the home of the sultan. And to the right is the westernised city, full of lavish shops and skyscrapers taller than one could imagine. All of this is wrapped within the boundaries of the Istanbul city, the only city in the world to be part of two continents.
The city has many tourist attractions for one to visit. The southern city, also referred to as old Istanbul, has a variety of historic Ottoman building with its main location being Sultan Ahmet Square. The area is beautiful with lush greenery around it. The fountain in the middle provides a constant attraction for tourists to enjoy as well as bringing a feeling of freshness around. The square is the ideal location to be in with key sights such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and Topkapi Palace in its parameter.
No more than a 10-minute ride on the trusted tram route that covers southern Istanbul, is the Galata Bridge, a bridge that connects the metro political new Istanbul to the slow lifestyle of the old city. Running over the golden horn, the Galata Bridge is an ideal location for the locals to do their fishing. It is also the common start point of many of Istanbul’s Bosphurus cruises. These cruises take you on luxurious ride in and around the city of Istanbul allowing you to witness the city like never before. You are literally travelling upon two continents at once.
As you cross the Galata Bridge, you come into the business end of the city. One of the tourist attractions you will come across is the Taxim Square, a square that has carried a lot of controversy and politics in the recent past. The city is the centre of where the riots happened in 2013. The rally and protest all took forth upon this small yet monumental piece of land. The square leads in three other directions. One to the skyscrapers and business buildings, another to the high street markets flooded with designer clothes. It’s like the west in the east. The other leads you to the iconic Galata Tower that can be seen from anywhere upon the Bosphorus river.
The city of Istanbul is a city of great contrast. In one side you have the old buildings of the seemingly everlasting Ottoman Empire, whilst on the other is this fast growing city with a population reaching the 15 million mark. But the fact still remains that Istanbul is a great city, a city of culture, variety and excitement.