Istanbul is the largest and most famous city in Turkey, as it is the tourist and economic capital of the country. The charm of this city lies in the fact that the Bosphorus Strait passes through it, which makes it divided into two parts, each of them on a continent, so Istanbul is one of the very few cities in the world that is located on two continents, Asia and Europe.
Istanbul has a long history dating back to 657 BC, and many rulers and kings have passed through it with various policies and religions, but this exceptional city has always retained its beauty and splendor throughout the ages and different times.
Istanbul is a first-class tourist country, where in 2018 it set a record in terms of the number of tourists coming to it, the number reached 13.4 million tourists that year, it is the fifth city in the world in terms of the number of tourists.
Istanbul is located in the northwest of Turkey and straddles the Bosphorus Strait, which provides the only passage from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean via the Marmara Sea. Despite the legend of the seven hills that make up the city, in fact there are more than 50 hills within the city limits and Aydos Hill is the highest hill in Istanbul with a height of 537 meters.
As we mentioned that Istanbul is a great tourist city, we will monitor for you in the following lines some of the city's landmarks.
Hagia Sophia Museum: This museum is one of the most important and famous landmarks of Istanbul because it has an amazing and ornate building style that dates back to 532 AD, where it was initially a church, and after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, the church turned into a mosque, after 5 centuries of being a church. In 1934 the mosque turned into a museum.
Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque): This mosque is considered one of the most important and beautiful attractions of Istanbul in particular and Turkey in general. The mosque represents the splendor and beauty of Islamic architecture. The mosque was built between 1609 and 1616. The mosque is characterized by a spacious area that can accommodate 10 worshippers, and the mosque is predominantly blue and gold from the outside, as it is similar to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, hence its fame as the Blue Mosque.
Topkapi Palace: This palace is one of the most important and famous museums in Istanbul and has a long history. It was built by Mehmed the Conqueror in the fifteenth century AD and served as the seat of government for the Ottoman Sultan. The palace contains many small buildings, each of which has a role, such as the harem, the imperial council building, and other small buildings that complement the palace. Therefore, this palace is one of the most important landmarks of the city.