Istanbul Travel Guide

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Istanbul

Istanbul
Sometimes described as 'the crossroads of Europe and Asia', Istanbul - formerly Constantinople - is a vast, heaving metropolis with an imperial history that str…
While you're there

City Sightseeing Tour of Istanbul

Situated between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, Istanbul is a melting pot of Eastern and Western cultures.

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Upcoming Events in Istanbul

Charlie HunterCharlie Hunter
22 Nov 2009
Babylon
Multi-string guitar maestro Charlie Hunter plays at Babylon in Istanbul. He… more...
Contemporary IstanbulContemporary Istanbul
3 - 6 Dec 2009 (annual)
Lutfi Kirdar Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Center
Leading international galleries come together for Contemporary Istanbul, Turkey's… more...
International Istanbul Fashion FairInternational Istanbul Fashion Fair
Feb 2010 (annual)
CNR Expo
The breadth and depth of the Turkish ready-to-wear clothing industry is revealed… more...

Travel essentials

Contact Chuck Prewitt at Weather Underground: 415-983-2602

Nightlife

Beyoğlu has been the site of drinking, dancing, theatre, debauchery and other non-Muslim pastimes in Istanbul for centuries. In contrast, there are few decent nightlife haunts in tourist-dominated Sultanahmet. Although Beyoğlu developed a reputation for seediness in the 1980s, Istanbul's huge youth population and the spirit of liberalism has ensured the district's recovery, with the clip joints and strip clubs rolling back off Istiklal Caddesi to make room for more nightclubs, wine bars and jazz…

Sightseeing

It takes time to see Istanbul properly, since examples of its 2,000-year-old past can be difficult to find amid the chaos of the present. Most visitors go straight to the Sultanahmet district, the oldest part of the city, where there are at least some remnants of Byzantine Constantinople, such as Haghia Sophia (Aya Sofya), among the splendours of Imperial Ottoman architecture, such as Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque. Sultanahmet is, however, a ‘tourist quarter' with the usual irritations of…

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