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Arriving in ISTANBUL can come as a shock. Most visitors head for the old city in and around Sultanahmet , where though you're still technically in Europe, there are immediate differences: back streets teem with traders pushing handcarts, stevedores carrying burdens twice their size, and omnipresent shoeshine boys. Men still monopolize the public bars and teahouses, while many women cover their heads, averting their gaze. Yet this is merely one aspect of modern Istanbul; only a couple of kilometres to the north you'll find the former European quarter of Beyoglu , with its trendy bars and cutting-edge dance clubs, while north again are the pavement cafés and restaurants of Ortaköy and the swish Bosphorus suburbs of Arnavutköy, Bebek and Etiler. These days the city has a social and cultural diversity to match any of its Western counterparts.

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The old imperial centre of Istanbul stretches from the Sultanahmet district northwest to the Süleymaniye mosque complex, the covered bazaar and the remains of the city walls. To the north, across the Galata Bridge, the old Levantine areas of Galata and Pera are home to one of the city's most famous landmarks, the Galata tower. Close by is the entrance to the Tünel , an underground funicular railway running from Karaköy up to the start of Istiklâl Caddesi, home to many of the city's restaurants and much of the nightlife, and on to Taksim Square , the heart of modern Istanbul.

Romantic dinner in the Golden Horn Hotel Sultanahmet

The city is divided in two by the Bosphorus , which runs between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, dividing Europe from Asia. At right angles to it, the inlet of the Golden Horn cuts the European side in two. The old centre of Sultanahmet, occupying the tip of the peninsula south of the Golden Horn, is home to the city's main sightseeing attractions: the cathedral of Aya Sofya , Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque , and as such many people find that they spend all their time here. Annoying hustlers mean first impressions can be negative - but thankfully omnipresent tourist police have done much to clear out the worst, and will respond quickly to any problems you may have. Further west near the explorable city walls lies the Kariye Camii , which contains the city's finest surviving Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. Across the Golden Horn to the north, the Galata Tower offers superb panoramic views over the city.

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Country Turkey
Province Istanbul
Districts 25
Area
- City 1,538.77 km² (594.1 sq mi)
Elevation 100 m (328 ft)
Population
- City 11,008,790
- Density 6,521/km² (16,889.3/sq mi)
Postal code 34010 to 34850 and
80000 to 81800
Area code(s) (+90) 212 (European side)
(+90) 216 (Asian side)
Licence plate 34