Car Hire Istanbul - Mini guide to Istanbul
Istanbul sits on the Boshporus Strait, where European and Asian Turkey meet. Being once the capitalof Byzantium and Ottoman empires, the city is home to landmarks with exceptional architectural beauty such as the Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. It’s also a very modern city that’s crowded with new restaurants, hotels, cafes and cultural institutions.
Most people who come to Istanbul land feet first in Sultanahmet. This peninsular (known as Sarayburnu) juts out at the apex of the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara. Rich in history, it's a natural magnet to millions of tourists every year. It’s peppered with Ottoman mosques and it is here you can stroll past the Topkapi Palace, and take in the grandeur of the city’s Byzantine past. While the famous Turkish delights of the Beyoglu sweet shops, served with the local (syrupy) coffee, are a welcome respite.
The nearby Aya Sofya (known as Hagia Sofia in Greek and also called the Church of the Divine Wisdom) is well worth a visit. It’s another grand architectural gem from the Byzantine Empire. Regarded as the greatest church in Christendom, this edifice is crammed with fine mosaics and topped by a magnificent dome.
Situated right on the waterfront on the Golden Horn, Eminönü is the end of the tramline. It is generally buzzing with activity during the day, with haggling street vendors plying their trade. The vast Egyptian Spice Bazaar is the main feature of Eminönü Square and Mimar Sinan's Yeni Camii is a familiar landmark with its minarets standing tall above the general chaos.
Beyoglu is the pulsating heartbeat of Istanbul's day and nightlife. Istiklal Street - a paved thoroughfare perpetually swarming with Istanbul's colourful residents - is at the hub of the metropolis, while a maze of narrow winding lanes is filled with funky cafés, soulful bars, continental restaurants, historic cinemas, prominent theatres and exclusive shops.
Istanbul's Atatürk Airport is Turkey's largest and busiest. Any number of popular regular services from the Middle East, the USA, Australia and Europe land here and it is apopular stopover point en-route to Asia.
