Discover Istanbul: Journey to the Heart of the City Between History, Culture, and Modernity!

Travel to Istanbul

Istanbul is a city with a history that has marked humanity in many ways. Indeed, bearing the name of Byzantium and Constantinople which was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, the city marked both the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. Its cultural richness is very important because it has 4 historic areas which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its economic position for Turkey is also important because being the capital, the financial, economic and industrial pole of the country but the main economic center of the country. Its geographical location has played a decisive role in its history but also in its integration into global geopolitics. Istanbul is also the largest city in Turkey.

So, visiting a city like Istanbul will be a real advantage for you and will allow you to live an incredible experience, at the same time historical, cultural but also comfortable.

The old names of the city and their footprints

The name of the city has changed over the years and this under the influence of the occupants of the city but also of successive empires. Indeed the name Istanbul was given to the city in 1930, but before that the city had several names. These names have a direct relationship with its history and also have a particular influence.

For the name Istanbul, it has two origins. Indeed, the first origin is a distortion of Greek words which means "towards the city". The second origin is an interpretation which expresses that the name comes from a Greek linguistic contradiction. There is also another name which comes from the Arabic "Islam bol" which comes from the Arabic and which means "where Islam abounds" which is, indeed, a popular etymology created to express the role played. by Istanbul in the Ottoman Empire of which the city was the capital.

History of the city of Istanbul

The influence of the history of the city of Istanbul has a direct bearing on the city square which is a metropolis which touches Asia but also Europe. Istanbul is also the crossroads of maritime and continental routes. For its history, it touches the Ottoman Empire and the Byzantine Empire in a direct way. It is for this reason that the three denominations of the city namely, Istanbul, Constantinople and Byzantium make a junction of three eras which are, the Greco-Roman antiquity, the Christianity of medieval Greece and the Islamic influence of the 'Ottoman Empire.

First, the city is named after Byzantium, which is an ancient Greek capital city of Thrace. And that was from the 7th century BC. AD Until 324.

After that, the city is named Constantinople which was founded by Constantine I in 330. The city was named after the emperor. This is how it became the eastern capital of the Roman Empire until the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

The third epoch was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire with Mehmed II. Thus the city will be the capital of the empire for five centuries.

The current period of the city was that of the republic and that with the loss of the place of the capital in favor of Ankara which becomes, from then on, the capital of Turkey. At the end of the First World War, the city was occupied by the Allies. This also motivated the relocation of the capital. The city will be rewarded in 1959 by the Prix de l'Europe. It was during this period of the republic that the city changed its name to Istanbul.

Istanbul, a center of Christianity and Islam

Straddling two civilizations (Western and Eastern) with its position, both in Europe and Asia, the city of Istanbul has known the influence of two religions. Under the Ottoman Empire with Mehmed II, the city enjoyed tremendous success in the Muslim religion as the capital of the empire. Before that when the city was ruled by the Eastern Roman Empire where it was the spiritual center of the Orthodox Christian world. King Mehmed II perpetuated the role of the city with the appointment of the Greek Patriarch Gennadios as head of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The city was also home to many Jews who were persecuted and driven out by the Spanish Inquisition. Currently, the historical wealth of the city is linked to this wealth and religious influence.

Weather

The city of Istanbul has a temperate climate which is characterized by the influence of mainland areas and maritime masses to the north and south. The city's climate is also a climate of transition between three types of climate: oceanic, humid tropical and Mediterranean. Summers in Istanbul are quite hot and humid and winters are cold and humid.

This climatic advantage coupled with its historical influence makes this city one of the best in the world for a visit.

Istanbul must-sees

With its history, there is no shortage of tourist sites in Istanbul. You will have a multitude of choices.

Take a cruise on the Bosphorus

When you visit Istanbul, you should definitely take a Bosphorus Cruise. This will allow you to visit the city with a beautiful view but will allow you to discover many old houses.