Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the fifth largest city in the world with a population of 12.8 million.  Istanbul is a megacity, as well as the cultural, economic, and financial centre of Turkey.  The city covers 39 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.  It extends both on the European (Thrace) and on the Asian (Anatolia) sides of the Bosphorus, and is thereby the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents.  Now, let’s move on to some additional perspective of the personal variety.   

Let me come right out and say it:  I loved Istanbul!  The city’s charms instantly captured my heart – even the irritating ones, like the overzealous street vendors and the psychotic drivers who weave their way through tourists and locals alike.  The historical relevance of the country, as you might expect is, extraordinary.  Take, for instance, the fact that this, in its incarnation as Constantinople, is where the “Roman Empire” persisted after the fall of Rome in the Fourth Century for nearly a millennium as the Byzantine Empire.  Oh, and welcome to Ottoman rule for the next 600 plus years. 

How about the architecture, you ask?  Well, the best way I can think to describe the city is that it’s a cultural melting pot of epic proportions.  It’s not everywhere you see a Muslim mosque that evolved from one of the greatest basilicas in Christendom.  Crazy, right?  Hagia Sophia is nothing short of spectacular.  After spending two minutes in that ginormous spectacle of architectural brilliance, I was struck with one profound thought:  It must have taken a megalomaniac of the highest caliber to bring that sanctimonious wet dream to fruition.  Thanks, Justinian!  We marvel at your pomposity even to this day.  In a good way, of course.  continue reading »