ISTANBUL

Istanbul is a world metropolis with a population of 10 million and a very wide stretch of  inhabited area. One's first impression is that Istanbul is a lively city. You feel its heartbeats in the most unlikely street corner.  In spite of its magnitude, it has the human qualities of a small community because Istanbul is a city of contrasts where the ancient allies with the modern, not only in terms of organization, but the way people think and behave.

The history of this bewitching city dates back 2500 years.It was founded by Greek colonists (660 BC) in Khalkedon (Kadikoy) known as the Land of the Blind because the founders did not prefer the more attractive European shores. Istanbul changed many hands until becoming a part of the Roman Empire in 196 AD, and was the capital of the Byzantine Empire for 1123 years under the name of Constantinople. From 1543 onwards, it became the capital of the Ottoman Empire until the emergence of the Turkish Republic.

Today, Istanbul is a major cultural and commercial center. Due to its geographical location at a major cross-roads, its unique culture laced with traces of the ancient and the modern, the mystical east, the rational west and the beauty of its natural setting, Istanbul is a city which holds an attraction for every taste.