Istanbul Holiday,Hotel and Travel Guide

 

Beautiful, exciting, enticing, historical, modern, lively and busy are just some of the words that can be used to describe Istanbul!

 

Istanbul is one of those cities that you really must visit at least once in your life and when you do you’ll be glad you did! Thousands of tourists from around the world come to Istanbul each year to discover the many faces of this magical city, which is well prepared for tourists – there are hundreds of hotels in Istanbul, as well a very extensive and cheap public transport system making it extremely easy to get around.

 

 

Beautiful Istanbul

Those who have already visited Istanbul often say it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Spanning the Bosphorus, Istanbul bridges Europe and Asia, and the Bosphorus plays an important part in everyday life here too. Two bridges take traffic over, whilst numerous ferries dart back and forth with passengers.

The view from the Bosphorus of the historic peninsula is one of the most famous and beautiful skylines in the world and looks most amazing at sunset as you hear the call to prayer; you could be in another world and in another time.

 

Historical Istanbul

As one of the oldest cities in the world it’s no surprise that there is plenty of history here. The Greeks, the Romans and the Ottomans all had a hand in the development of Istanbul and remnants of all of these civilisations still remain today.

In 1985 Istanbul’s historical areas were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List in recognition of their importance and to make sure that these culturally important areas of the city were preserved for many years to come.

Two of the most impressive buildings in the world are here, the Blue Mosque (also known as the Sultanahmet Mosque) and Aya Sofya (also known as Agia Sofia) in addition to the nearby display of opulence in the form of Topkapi Palace, which seems almost out of place.

The peninsula also has many other historical buildings, mansions from the Ottoman period for example, some of which have now been converted into beautiful boutique hotels, though despite this being the historical heart of the city there are also many modern, luxurious Istanbul hotels here too, great for visitors who want to be near the attractions.

 

Modern Istanbul

Just across the Golden Horn from the historic peninsula you’ll find the other Istanbul – the modern, bustling, thriving, business and commercial centre of the city and in fact the whole of Turkey. Istanbul may not be the capital city any more (Ankara is) but it is the cultural and financial centre of Turkey.

Taksim is the main business centre and a good place to stay in a hotel in Istanbul if you’re here on business. The surrounding area also has Istanbul’s most famous street, Istiklal Avenue (Caddesi) where you’ll find many of Istanbul’s best restaurants, as well as nightlife and shops and of course hotels too!

For great shopping choices at reasonable prices, Istanbul is definitely a good choice for shopaholics! The modern shopping malls here are huge; so huge in fact that Istanbul boasts the largest shopping mall in Europe.

 

 

Busy Istanbul

There’s no denying it or getting away from it, Istanbul is a very busy city! In a way this is part of its charm though. You have to admire the people going about their daily business, battling with traffic and hooting their horns at least once every minute!

But with a great public transport system, including trams and an underground (metro) system, visitors to the city shouldn’t have to brave the roads unless you’re taking a taxi to your hotel in Istanbul from the airport. Even this isn’t necessary though as the metro goes all the way from the city to the airport, making journeys fast, easy and very affordable.

 

Quiet Istanbul

If you know where to look, Istanbul does have its quiet side too! Visitors can take a ferry to the Princes’ Islands to enjoy a little peace and quiet and importantly no traffic, as motorized vehicles aren’t permitted here!

A few of the Istanbul hotels are located here too if you wanted to stay for longer than a day, but with only a minimal bed count, bookings need to be made well in advance.