Istanbul is one of the most important cities not only in Türkiye but also in the world in terms of its nature, cultural and historical richness. Being a bridge between Asia and Europe geographically, it brings together Eastern and Western cultures.

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Istanbul has been the capital of two great empires in history. After the Roman Emperor Constantine I moved the capital from Rome to Istanbul, the Roman Empire was divided into East and West (330 AD). In the previous period, Megarians from Greece in 680 BC were in the city. The oldest known name of the city, "Byzantion", was a name given in honor of King Byzantas of Megara during this period. Although Constantine gave the name "Nova Roma" (New Rome) when he moved the capital here, the city was called Constantinople (City of Constantine) after his death.

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The Edict of Milan, proclaimed in 313, gave Christians a legal status, but this was met with opposition by the Romans. This is one of the most important reasons why Rome, which adopted the polytheistic Pagan religion, was divided into two: Christian, Paganist conflict. Accordingly, Constantine stated that the establishment of the new capital was "God's order". But he will be baptized only on his deathbed.

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Istanbul met all the features of a new capital. Constantine really saw the city he called "New Rome" as a place where Rome could be rebuilt. An interesting detail is that Istanbul, like the city of Rome, consists of seven hills. In this context, the construction of the city began. Undoubtedly, the construction of Istanbul is one of the most important decisions in history. Constantinople is the product of one man. The region known as the historical peninsula today constitutes the borders of Istanbul during the Constantine period. During the periods under Turkish domination, urbanization took place sparsely outside these borders.

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The Eastern Roman Empire was never referred to as the Byzantine Empire in its time. This name was named by the German historian Hieronymus Wolff in the 16th century. The Eastern Roman Empire lived its heyday during the reign of Justinian (527-565).

In the following periods, Arab raids and Crusades caused great damage to Eastern Rome. The Catholic-Orthodox conflict brought Eastern Rome against western Europe. IV. The sailors who came to the Bosphorus in the Crusade, when they saw Constantinople, desired the city with great surprise. The Crusaders who entered the city on April 12, 1204, plundered the city and set it on fire. Steven Runciman, author of the three-volume History of the Crusaders (1951-54), puts it this way: “…[Constantinople] was filled with works of art from Ancient Greece and masterpieces of their own superior craftsmanship. The Venetians knew the value of such things. Wherever they found a treasure, they took it away to decorate a square and church and palace in their city. But the French and Flemish were burning with the desire to destroy. They shouted and stormed the streets and houses, snatched everything that shined and smashed what they could not bear, but stopped when they plundered the wine cellars to kill or rape someone or to drink. Neither monasteries nor churches and libraries were spared from this looting. Even in Hagia Sophia, you could see drunken soldiers trampling scriptures and icons with their feet, tearing silk curtains and tearing apart the silver iconastasis. While the soldiers were getting drunk from altar pots, a prostitute was sitting on the patriarch's throne, singing in obscene French. Nuns had been raped in monasteries, and all kinds of dwellings, from palaces to cottages, were raped and plundered… The gruesome scenes of looting and massacre lasted for days until this very large and beautiful city was razed to the ground.”

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After the plunder, a Latin Empire was established in the city in 1204. When the "Latin Dogs", as the Byzantines called it, left the city after a life of 57 years as an ambassador, all that remained was a ruined country. Their lands were diminished, the centralist power weakened, and the people impoverished.

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Meanwhile, the Turks in Anatolia had come to the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts. So much so that, after Thrace fell into the hands of the Turks, Byzantium was besieged from all sides and the sick Empire was defeated by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1453 after a long resistance.

II. Mehmet entered the city with great enthusiasm and gave great privileges to the Orthodox people in their worship and life. Some churches, especially Hagia Sophia, have been converted into mosques. However, Fatih was disappointed when he entered the city. Because the city of his dreams was looted by the Crusaders, and many buildings, including Hagia Sophia, were plundered. One of the greatest achievements of Mehmet the Conqueror was the revival of this ruined city. And so the capital was moved from Edirne to Constantinople.

It is stated that the name Istanbul comes from the name of Islambol in some sources.

attached. This does not reflect reality. In fact, the name of the city adopted today is Greek. The word “Eis ten polin” used in Greece during the Byzantine and Ottoman periods corresponds to the meaning “towards the city”. This expression was used for the road to Istanbul. Today, the origin of this name is based on this.

 

 

Impressive Istanbul Locations You Must See

We have prepared our list of places to visit in Istanbul for you. They say, "Life ends, Istanbul never ends"... Indeed, there are so many places to see in Istanbul that it is not enough to tell. Nevertheless, do not pass without taking a look at our list of places to visit in Istanbul.

If you are thinking of visiting Istanbul, do not forget to take a look at our Istanbul travel guide article. In this article, you can find everything you need to know about the trip to Istanbul in a practical way!

Istanbul is one of the leading cities in the world in terms of its historical and natural riches. With its population increasing day by day and the urban texture that has become chaotic as a result; It has created an order of its own in the chaos. Generally, touristic spots are gathered in the region called "Historical Peninsula". Although it has been discussed in the past that this area will be closed to traffic, no decision has been taken in this direction. You can see the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, the old and the new side by side at almost every point of this city where the West and East intersect.

This city has been the center of two great empires and two holy religions in history. The traces of this past can be seen all over the city, although care is not taken to protect it. Istanbul is home to the most important temples of both Islam and Orthodox Christianity. The most famous structures of the city, which are among the places to visit in Istanbul, are within walking distance. The region called the Historical Peninsula forms the borders of Byzantine Istanbul. Fatih entered the city on a horse with a great welcome ceremony and visited Hagia Sophia. After that, as a tradition, the first visit point in the city remained as Hagia Sophia. For this reason, we started our list of places to visit in Istanbul with Hagia Sophia. The rest of our list of places to visit includes historical buildings such as Galata Tower, Istanbul Archeology Museum, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, palaces such as Topkapı Palace, Dolmabahçe Palace, parks, squares and museums such as Gülhane Park and Emirgan Park. You can find detailed information about these places that we have mentioned in the continuation of the article.

 

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Night in Istanbul

Istanbul is a cultural capital, a city of events. Istanbul may surprise you with its colorful and rich nightlife. You can have fun in classical entertainment venues or go to full festivals, concerts and theater plays. Depending on the date you stay in Istanbul or join the nightlife, look at the programs and buy tickets. In the nights of this city, incredible shows are performed on many stages. UNIQ Hall Lounge, Volkswagen Arena, Salon İKSV, Babylon, Küçükçiftlik Park, Ghetto, Jolly Joker Istanbul, Santral Istanbul, Garageistanbul, Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena, Parkorman, İş Sanat Culture Center and Akbank Art Culture Center are the main places where these events are held. You can come across the Istanbul Jazz Season, which starts in October - November, at İş Sanat and Akbank Sanat. Many concerts and theater performances are held in these art centers throughout the year, which have attracted global attention.

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Istanbul's open-air concert centers host thousands of people and host many events. Küçükçüftlik Park with a capacity of 17 thousand people, Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Stage, which has hosted many famous artists from Leonard Cohen to Gloria Gaynor, and Turkcell Kuruçeşme Arena with its unique Bosphorus view are some of them.

If you are in the winter months, Zorlu PSM, Babylon, Ghetto, If Performance Hall, The Hall, Santralistanbul and Volkswagen Arena will be waiting for you. Musical, theatre, concerts and countless parties are held in these performance venues. You can be informed about the concert programs by following them on the internet and social media. To buy your tickets, choose Biletix or the show center box office.

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If your understanding of nightlife consists of bars and nightclubs, we can recommend Beşiktaş, Kadıköy and Taksim venues for you first. The places that have been popular in recent years have been gathered especially in Kadıköy. For this reason, let's start with the entertainment centers of Kadıköy first. DOROCK XL is one of the most preferred venues as it has the largest indoor live concert area. There is an area to sit, eat, drink and chat, as well as the opportunity to listen to a concert every night. "Bear" is one of the most beautiful places where you can find plenty of "craft" beers that have become famous lately and drink them to the fullest. This place is located between Kadıköy and Moda. If you like things with 90's concept, "Eskici" is a very popular place where you will love their music. These places, which are always full, are fun all night long.

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You can start the night early in Beşiktaş. Numerous chocolatiers, third generation coffee shops and lovely cafes can be found here. Okkalı Kahve, Happiness Point, Mendel's Cafe, Cafe CakeHouse, Poets Coffee, Cefa de Cuba are the places we can recommend for your pre-snack. Limoncello, Frame, CoCo Bongo Night Club, Le Fumoir, Sponge Bar and Beer Point are some of our recommendations for the rest of the night.

Even though there is no trace of Taksim's old Taksim nightlife, many places can still be incredibly entertaining. 45, Coop, Dorock Bar, Jolly Joker, The Bite, Eskici Live, Hard Rock, Hayal Kahvesi, Indigo and Roxy are the lively venues where the heart of entertainment beats in Taksim.

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So, is the nightlife in Istanbul limited to bars, cafes and concerts? Definitely not. There are many activities in almost every district of the city. In the spring, these events become widespread and bring the city together. For example, "Urban Picnic", Türkiye 's first night picnics, takes place in Maslak Uniq Istanbul. In this city, anything is possible for entertainment.