Istanbul discount hotels and accomodation
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, its cultural and financial centre, the world's fifth largest city proper at over 12 million inhabitants, and the only metropolis spread over two continents.
The city is situated on both the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus Strait, surrounded by the Black Sea, Sea of Marmara and the natural harbour of the Golden Horn. The city covers an area of nearly 2,000 sq kilometres allowing for a great variety of climate, flora and fauna between the districts; there are several plant species that are endemic to Istanbul. The climate is temperate, with hot humid summers and cold wet winters.
Istanbul, which was historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople, has been a capital of several empires including the Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire and Ottoman Empire. There are hundreds of historical attractions in the city, from palaces to towers, from churches to mosques.
The historic districts were listed by UNESCO as World Heritage in 1985. The peninsula comprising the Eminönü and Fatih districts is roughly equal to the area of the 15th century Constaninople and is bounded by the triple Theodosian Land Walls from the 5th century.
The historic Beyoglu and Besiktas districts with the medieval Galata Tower and Sultan's palace are situated north of the Golden Horn. On the Asian side of Istanbul, Üsküdar and Kadiköy have been distinct cities since the ancient times but have now been absorbed by Istanbul. Today, one third of the city's population lives on the Asian side where numerous modern business and residential districts are located, including the highrise Kozyatagi. There are also several modern highrise districts on the European side.
The area was inhabited for thousands of years, and there has been a port settlement called Lygos there more than 3 thousand years ago. It was then named Byzantium, after the Greek colonists' king Byzas who founded a settlement there in 667 B.C. The Maiden's Tower, set on an islet in the Bosphorus, was originally built by the Athenian general Alcibiades in 408 B.C. It was used as a lighthouse for centuries, and can now be visited.
After the Roman emperor Constantine the Great had a prophetic dream in 324 A.D., he moved his capital there, and the city was known throughout the West primarily as Constantinople since then and until the early 20th century. Some of the Roman monuments in the city include the Column of Constantine (330) and other columns, the Hagia Irene church (now a museum and a concert hall), some aqueducts, the Hippodrome and the Great Palace of Constantinople. Some of the remainders of the latter can be viewed at the Great Palace Mosaic Museum.
After the Roman Empire was split later, the city became the capital of Byzantine Empire. Its location attracted international trade, culture and diplomacy, and for a few centuries it was the largest city on the planet at half a million inhabitants.
It was not only a political but also a religious centre. The seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople, spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Christianity, is still in the city's Fener district.
Some of the structures from the Byzantine period still standing include Basilica Cistern, Stoudios Monastery (462), and Prisons of Anemas with its network of underground dungeons. Hagia Sophia, which was built between 532 and 537 by Isidorus and Anthemius, remained the largest cathedral in the world until it was turned into a mosque by the invading Ottoman Turks in 1453.
By then, the Byzantine empire has been a shadow of its past glory. The 4th Crusade, launched in 1204, failed to take Jerusalem as the crusaders stormed and ransacked Constantinople. The city was recaptured by Greeks in 1261 but it hasn't recovered and large sections remained uninhabited by the time the Turks laid siege to the city. The emperors moved from the Great Palace to the Blachernae Palace, a section of which remains. The last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI died in 1453 with a sword in his hand defending the city.
Sultan Mehmed II rejuvenated the city which was renamed Istanbul, its colloquial name coming from the Greek phrase 'to the city". He created the Grand Bazaar which is still one of the largest covered markets in the world and forced his subjects to move to the city. Fatih Mosque (1470, replaced the Church of the Holy Apostles), Yedikule Castle, Topkapi Palace and Eyüp Sultan Mosque (1459) date back from his reign.
Constantinople, the capital of an empire spread over Asia, Europe and Africa, kept growing in the 16th century when many magnificent mosques includng the famous Süleymaniye Mosque (1557) and Blue Mosque (1616), hospitals and public baths were built.
European architectural styles like Baroque and Rococo gradually replaced traditional Ottoman approach which is evident in the likes of the Baroque interiors of Aynalikavak Palace (1679), the eclectic Dolmabahçe Palace (1856), and Nuruosmaniye Mosque (1755) which, along with its fountain, is a fine example of Ottoman Baroque.
Istiklal Avenue experienced a more direct European architectural influence, as numerous embassies there were constructed in Neoclassical and later Art Nouveau styles. Istanbul also has a number of other important Art Nouveau buildings.
After Republic of Turkey was established in 1923, the capital was moved to Ankara, and Istanbul experienced something of a decline which was partly due to the mass exodus of the city's Armenian and Greek population after several wars and pogroms.
Another period of rapid growth and structural change started from the 1940s when Istanbul started to modernise, with new avenues, boulevards and squares including the Bagdat Avenue and Taksim Square costructed throughout the city. The urban sprawl intensified in the 1970s, the Asian side of Istanbul experienced particularly intense growth.
The population of Istanbul more than tripled since 1980. Most of the population is Turkish, with a significan Kurdish minority. There are more than 2,600 active mosques in the city, over a hundred churches (Armenian, Greek and Catholic), and two dozen synagogues including the Italian Sinagogue and Neve Shalom Synagogue, both in Galata. The city has been multi-ethnic and multi-religious throughout its history.
There are many places where Istanbul's spectacular past can be explored, including the Istanbul Archaeology Museum which was established in 1881 and is now among the world's largest museums. The Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum's vast collection displays artifacts from various Islamic civilizations.
With its position on the major trade land and sea trade routes, Istanbul is the centre of Turkey's economic life generating more than half of its trade, and its largest industrial city.
Atatürk International Airport on the European side, some 24 kilometres of the city centre, is one of the largest aviation hubs in the region serving a few million people each year. There is also a smaller international airport on the Asian side. Several airport hotels in Istanbul provide attractive deals for travellers.
The city and its two bridges over the Bosphorus also provide motorway connection between the continents. There is also a large port visited by cruise ships.
The city's grand Sirkeci Terminal is the last stop of the Orient Express train which ran from Paris, made famous by the books of Graham Greene and Agatha Christie. Marmaray tunnel under the Bosphorus, scheduled for completion in 2012, should connect European and Asian railway systems, as well as metro lines in both parts of Istanbul.
Public transport in Istanbul includes commuter ferries, suburban trains, tram (including a couple of lines where historic red trams operate), funicular railways, light rail and metro.
Shopping opportunities in Istanbul are vast and include the historic spots like the Grand Bazaar (1461) and the Egyptian Bazaar (1660), as well as Sahaflar Carsisi which was a book market since late Roman period. Over the last twenty years, there were several modern shopping malls built in the city, including Cevahir Mall which is Europe's largest.
The cuisine of Istanbul is dominated by Turkish cuisine but European, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern dining is also popular. Historic 19th century winehouses and pubs are plentiful around Istiklal Avenue, with Çiçek Pasaji arcade and Nevizâde Street among the oldest locations.
Istanbul is also famed for its seafood, with numerous historic restaurants on shores of the Bosphorus and the Marmara Sea, as well as on the Princes' Islands. There are a lot of modern restaurants and nightclubs in the historic areas and on the Bosphorus.
Istanbul hosts classical, jazz and pop concerts, as well as large sporting events. The Atatürk Olympic Stadium and the Sükrü Saracoglu Stadium have both hosted major UEFA football events recently, and there are several motor and yacht races.
Istanbul is one of the most important tourist destinations in Turkey, attracting visitors both by being a business centre and by its cultural heritage. There is a growing trend in medical tourism to Istanbul which is a global destination for laser and plastic surgery. The city has established itself as a conference destination, with many hotels in Istanbul offering modern meeting facilities and services.
There are hundreds of hotels in Istanbul which cater to all sorts of vacationers and business travellers. Modern hotel management was introduced in the late 19th century. Some of the first European-style properties in the city's Beyoglu district included Hotel Pera Palace (1892), Tokatliyan's and the Bristol. The traditional inns of the Sirkeci quarter caught the trend, and many were turned into hotels in the early 20th century. By 1910, there were over fifty hotels to choose from in Constantinople.
The city's reemergence as a major centre in the 1950s brought forth a new ave of hotel openings - Istanbul Hilton (1954) and the Marmara are among the larger ones. As the guest numbers continued to grow, more luxury brands were introduced to the Istanbul hotel market, while the more budget options also continued to multiply.
Istanbul has all kinds of accomodation available, from hostel dormitories through midrange, traditional hotels to world-class four- and five-star luxury hotels. The majority of five-star hotels in Istanbul are located in modern districts like Beyoglu and Sisli, while the historic peninsula is home to many of the four-star properties as the old buildings limit the options available to developers and hoteliers. Budget, two- and one-star hotels in Istanbul can be found anywhere. There are also motels, campings, boarding houses and other accomodations provided.