Traveling to Istanbul – Part 2

Traveling to Istanbul takes more than a minute, so there’s no wonder why we couldn’t fit the entire Constantinople in just one article. Last time we got the chance to talk for a moment about the history of the city.

Today we were thinking it might be interesting to learn some fascinating facts about Istanbul and maybe travel to some of its greatest highlights. Let’s go!

Fact # 1: Istanbul sits on both continents: Europe and Asia. This geographical “pun” is in tune with the cultural legacy of the place, at the crossroads between East and West.

Fact # 2: During the Ottoman Empire, Constantinople (which is what Istanbul used to be called) boasted with over 1400 public toilets!

Fact # 3: When in Istanbul, don’t forget to stop by the Hagia Sophia, a referential church. It was built by the Orthodox Christian Church in 537 AD and became a Muslim mosque in 1453, after the Ottoman conquest of the city. When Turkey became modern in 1935, it became a museum. Until 1520, when the Seville Cathedral was completed, Hagia Sophia had been the largest church on Earth for 900 years. Today it attracts more than 3 million visitors per annum.

Fact # 4: Wanna go shopping in Istanbul? Go to the Grand Bazaar, the greatest historical bazaar in the world, with over 3000 boutiques and shops spreading over 60 streets (61, in fact, to be completely precise). Globetrotters claim you need 3 full days to cover it all, but we suspect a shopaholic would waste even more time.

Fact # 5: And if you want to read a good book in Istanbul, start with Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express”, which was written at the Pera Palas Hotel in town. The best way to appreciate the city is to see it with your own eyes. If you need a lift, be sure to book an Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport transfer online before your trip.