Istanbul, Turkey Scenic & Historic Tour

Istanbul has more than fifteen million inhabitants and stretches across two continents. The Bosphorus, which is a body of water that goes north to the Black Sea, separates Europe from Asia. Europe is to the west and Asia is to the east. The main part of Istanbul is in Europe. The European portion is divided by the Golden Horn, which is a narrow body of water that the Bosphorus empties into. North of the Golden Horn is the new part of the city called Beyoglu, where many visitors choose to stay in hotels. South of the Golden Horn is Old Istanbul, and this is where you find most things of interest. The south shore of Old Istanbul is on the Sea of Marmara.

Istanbul has previously been known as Constantinople and ancient Byzantium. It has also served as the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Turkish Republic. During its Byzantium history, which lasted more than one thousand years, it was conquered many times by different powers including Persians, Athenians, Spartans, and Romans. In 324 A.D. Constantine I became head of the Roman Empire. He made Byzantium the capital of the Roman Empire and named the city after himself. Constantinople became one of the great world capitals. Constantine I had adopted Christianity, and consequently this became the religion of the people. The Christian Empire lasted for 1,130 years. In April 1453 the Turkish Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed II, began his siege of Constantinople. He was eventually successful, and the city was soon completely transformed. The Byzantine churches were converted to mosques, and more mosques were built as well as palaces. The modern day Turkish Republic was born in 1923. Its founder was Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.