Istanbul Sights Photography - M1key - Michal Huniewicz

I visited Istanbul in late August 2011 just before the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting.
Istanbul is the largest Turkish city, being home to over 13 million inhabitants. The Bosphorus splits it in two parts, European and Asian.

The area of Istanbul was inhabited even before the Bosphorus was formed - there are remains of settlements from as long as 7 millenia BC. Greek settlers founded the city of Byzantium in 660 BC. In 330 AD the city became the eastern capital of the Roman Empire and was renamed to Constantinople. It became a center of Greek culture and Christianity. However, its power began to gradually decline, and it became the target of Ottoman Turks, who eventually conquered it in 1453. It became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Now known as Istanbul, the city had a cosmopolitan society of many cultures and languages.
In the 20th century, Atatürk attempted to westernise the country and turn Istanbul into a more modern city, sometimes at the expense of old buildings and original designs. That was also when the original byzantine objects, which had become mosques, were converted into museums. It was the end of the empire, and of the harem, and the beginning of the Republic of Turkey. Many people left the city and it lost its cosmopolitan character.

These days there are almost 3 thousand active mosques in Istanbul, and a vast majority of the population declares themselves as Muslim. There is only a small Jewish community (20 synagogues); most Christians have left too.

While Ankara is now the capital of Turkey, Istanbul generates 55% of Turkish trade. 40% of Turkish taxes are collected in Istanbul. It's a powerful city in a powerful country with big ambitions and an army to support them.

This gallery shows major tourist attractions and landmarks of Istanbul. I hope it will let you get a feel of the city and its history.