Inside the Istanbul Travel Guide

Top Hotels in Istanbul

La Boutique Hotel Pierre Loti

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Named after the famous French novelist, the elegant Pierre Loti Hotel is a short walk from the Blue Mosque, Haghia Sophia and all of the other historical …

Yesil Ev Hotel

Pera Palace

Best Western Eresin Taxim Hotel

Taksim Gonen Hotel

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It is amazing how big cities can be and the look if you make a tour with a little ship and the night life is awsome

20 June 2007 | A Yahoo! User

Introduction

Straddling the Bosphorus, its skyline studded with domes and minarets, İstanbul is one of the truly great romantic cities. Its history tracks back from Byzantium to Constantinople to its place at the head of the Ottoman Empire. Today it hums as Turkey's cultural heart and good-time …

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Not to miss

İstanbul Archaeological Museum Divided into three buildings: the Archaeology Museum; the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Kiosk; this complex houses the palace collections formed during the 19th century by archaeologist Osman Hamdi (1842-1910) and added to greatly since the …

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Facts for the Traveller

Population : 13000000 Area : 98km² Longitude / Latitude : 29.0060005188 / 41.0660018921 Currency : Turkish Lira (TRL) Weights & Measures system : Metric

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Getting there & Getting around

Getting there İstanbul's Atatürk Airport is Turkey's largest and busiest. Any number of popular regular services from the Middle East, the USA, Australia and Europe land here. Although the city's major airline, İstanbul Airlines, went bust, the main domestic carrier, …

Lonelyplanet

History

Recent History However, recently İstanbul has undergone a renaissance, with its infrastructure being upgraded, its cultural life emphasised and its political tenor increasingly influenced by the West. Indeed, Turkey's bid to join the EU is underpinned by the fact that these days its …

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Weather

Turkey has seven climatic regions. İstanbul is situated in the Marmara region, which includes eastern Thrace and Edirne. It's a countryside of rolling steppeland and low hills with an average yearly rainfall of 668mm (26.3in). Rainfall is highest (between 80mm/3.1in and 100mm/3.9in per …

Lonelyplanet

Istanbul City Guide

Istanbul has a glorious history, some of it acquired under its previous names of Byzantium and Constantinople. The ancient city was founded by a man named Byzas, from the prompting of the oracle at Delphi, around 657 B.C. Today Istanbul is a huge metropolis connecting continents, cultures, and …

Luxury Travel

Overview

Istanbul is a divided city, split by the Bosporus, the narrow channel that separates Europe from Asia. Ironically, the Asian side holds Western-style suburbs, while the European side contains old Istanbul, a wonderland of mosques, opulent palaces, and Byzantine ruins from the city's 16 …

Fodors.com

Istanbul is a must,

and much of the rest of the country is fascinating too. Most Brits go for the beaches, many of which are beautiful, and the sailing, although some areas, such as Bodrum, have been tackified beyond repair. Historical sites of interest abound, from Ephesus to Gallipolli. The further east you go, the …

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