Information AboutIstanbul |
Istanbul (, ''' and later ''' Constantinople '''; see Other Names ) is Turkey 's most populous City , and its cultural and financial center. The city covers 25 districts of the Istanbul Province . It is located at 41° N 29° E, on the Bosphorus Strait , and encompasses the natural Harbor known as the Golden Horn , in the northwest of the country. It extends both on the Europe an ( Thrace ) and on the Asia n ( Anatolia ) side of the Bosphorus, and is thereby the only Metropolis in the world which is situated on two Continent s. In its long history, Istanbul (Constantinople) served as the capital city of the Roman Empire (330-395), the Byzantine Empire (395-1204 and 1261-1453), the Latin Empire (1204-1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453-1922). The city was chosen as joint European Capital Of Culture for 2010 . The " Historic Areas Of Istanbul " were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985 . NAMES The city of Istanbul has had many names throughout its history, depending on the Peninsula , the oldest part of the city, was built by Constantine on seven hills to match the seven hills of Rome. The hills are represented in the city's coat of arms with seven Mosque s, one at the top of each hill.1 Another old nickname of Istanbul is ''Vasileousa Polis'' (''Queen of Cities''), which rose from its importance and wealth throughout the Middle Ages . With the Turkish Postal Service Law of March 28, 1930, the Turkish authorities officially requested foreigners to cease referring to the city with their traditional non-Turkish names (such as Constantinople, Tsarigrad, etc.) and to adopt Istanbul as the sole name also in their own languages.Stanford and Ezel Shaw (1977): History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Vol II, p. 386; Robinson (1965), The First Turkish Republic, p. 298 Letters or packages sent to "Constantinople" instead of "Istanbul" were no longer delivered by Turkey's PTT , which contributed to the eventual worldwide adoption of the new name. Similarly, letters or packages that were sent to "Smyrna" instead of Izmir , "Angora" instead of Ankara , "Trebizond" instead of Trabzon , and other ancient city names were no longer delivered; a measure which forced the quick worldwide recognition of the modern Turkish names of every prominent city in the country. HISTORY See Also: History of Istanbul The first human settlement in Istanbul, the Fikirtepe mound on the Anatolian side, is from the now stands. During the period of Byzantion, the Acropolis used to stand where the Topkapı Palace stands today. After siding with Pescennius Niger against the victorious Septimius Severus the city was Besieged by Rome and suffered extensive damage in AD 196 . Byzantium was rebuilt by the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus and quickly regained its previous prosperity, being temporarily renamed as ''Augusta Antonina'' by the emperor, in honor of his son. The location of Byzantium attracted Constantine The Great in 324 after a prophetic dream was said to have identified the location of the city; but the true reason behind this prophecy was probably Constantine's final victory over Licinius at the Battle Of Chrysopolis ( Üsküdar ) on the Bosphorus , on September 18, 324, which ended the civil war between the Roman Co-Emperors, and brought an end to the final vestiges of the Tetrarchy system, during which Nicomedia (present-day İzmit , 100 km east of Istanbul) was the most senior Roman capital city. Byzantium (now renamed as '' Nova Roma '' which eventually became '' Constantinopolis '', i.e. ''The City of Constantine'') was officially proclaimed the new capital of the Roman Empire six years later, in 330 . Following the death of Theodosius I in 395 and the permanent partition of the Roman Empire between his two sons, Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire . As well as being the centre of an imperial dynasty, the unique position of Constantinople at the centre of two continents made the city a magnet for international Commerce , Culture and Diplomacy . The Byzantine Empire was distinctly Greek in culture and became the centre of Greek Orthodox Christianity , while its capital was adorned with many magnificent Church es, including the Hagia Sophia , once the world's largest Cathedral . The seat of the Patriarch Of Constantinople , spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church , still remains in the Fener ( Phanar ) district of Istanbul. In 1204 , the Fourth Crusade was launched to capture Jerusalem , but had instead turned on Constantinople, which was sacked and desecrated.Phillips, J., 2005. The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople. Pimlico. The city subsequently became the centre of the Catholic Latin Empire , created by the crusaders to replace the Orthodox Byzantine Empire, which was divided into a number of splinter states, of which the Empire Of Nicaea was to recapture Constantinople in 1261 under the command of Michael VIII Palaeologus . Following centuries of decline, Constantinople became surrounded by more youthful and powerful empires, most notably that of the and the Eyüp Sultan Mosque . Religious foundations were established to fund the construction of grand imperial mosques (such as the Fatih Mosque which was built on the spot where the Church Of The Holy Apostles once stood), adjoined by their associated School s, Hospital s and Public Bath s. Point (Sarayburnu) on the Golden Horn as seen from Galata Tower , with the Sea Of Marmara and the Princes' Islands in the background, and Kadıköy (ancient Chalcedon ) at left, on the Asian side]] Suleiman The Magnificent ’s reign was a period of great Artistic and Architectural achievements. The famous architect Sinan designed many mosques and other grand Building s in the city, while Ottoman arts of Ceramics and Calligraphy also flourished. Many of these Tekkes survive to this day; some in the form of mosques while others have become museums such as the Cerrahi Tekke and the Sünbül Efendi and Ramazan Efendi Mosque s and Türbes in Fatih , the Galata Mevlevihanesi in Beyoğlu , the Yahya Efendi Tekke in Beşiktaş , and the Bektaşi Tekke in Kadıköy , which now serves Alevi Muslims as a Cemevi . The city was modernized from the 1870s onwards with the construction of bridges, the creation of a proper water system, the use of electric lights, and the introduction of Streetcars and Telephones . When the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923 , the capital was moved from Istanbul to Ankara . In the early years of the republic, Istanbul was overlooked in favour of the new capital. However, in the 1950s, Istanbul underwent great structural change, as new roads and factories were constructed throughout the city. Wide modern boulevards, avenues and public squares were built in Istanbul, sometimes at the expense of the demolition of many historical buildings. The city's once numerous and prosperous Greek community, remnants of the city's Greek origins, dwindled in the aftermath of the 1955 Istanbul Pogrom , with most Greeks in Turkey leaving their homes for Greece . During the 1970s , the population of Istanbul began to rapidly increase as people from Anatolia migrated to the city in order to find employment in the many new factories that were constructed at the outskirts of the city. This sudden sharp increase in the population caused a rapid rise in housing development (some of poor quality, resulting in deaths and injuries during frequent Earthquake s that hit the city) and many previously outlying villages became engulfed into the greater metropolis of Istanbul. Today, as well as being the country's largest city, Istanbul is the financial, cultural, and economic centre of modern Turkey . GEOGRAPHY Istanbul is located in the north-west Marmara Region of Turkey. It encloses the southern Bosphorus which places the city on two continents – the western portion of Istanbul is in Europe , while the eastern portion is in Asia . The city boundaries cover a surface area of 1,539 square kilometers, while the metropolitan region, or the Province Of Istanbul , covers 6,220 square kilometers. Climate The city has a Temperate - Continental Climate , with hot and humid summers; and cold, rainy and often snowy winters. Humidity is generally rather high which can make temperatures feel much warmer or colder than they actually are. Yearly precipitation for Istanbul averages 870 mm. Snowfall is quite common, snowing for a week or two during the winter season, but it can be heavy once it snows. It is most likely to occur between the months of December and March. The summer months between June and September bring average daytime temperatures of 28 °C (82 °F). The warmest month is July with an average temperature of 23.3 °C (74 °F), the coldest is January with 5.6 °C (42 °F). The weather becomes slightly cooler as one moves toward eastern Istanbul. Summer is by far the driest season, although there is no real summer drought such as that occurs further west. The city is quite windy, having an average wind speed of 17 km/h (11 mph). ]] Geology from the hills of the Ulus neighbourhood]] Istanbul is situated near the North Anatolian Fault line, which runs from northern Anatolia to the Marmara Sea . Two Tectonic Plate s, the African and the Eurasian, push against each other here. This fault line has been responsible for several deadly Earthquake s in the region throughout history. In 1509 , a catastrophic earthquake caused a tsunami which broke over the sea-walls of the city, destroying over 100 Mosque s and killing 10,000 people. In 1766 , the Eyüp Sultan Mosque was largely destroyed. The 1894 earthquake caused the collapse of many parts of the Grand Bazaar . A devastating earthquake in August 1999 , with its epicenter in nearby Kocaeli , left 18,000 dead and many more homeless.23 In all of these earthquakes, the devastating effects are a result of the close settlement and poor construction of buildings. Seismologists predict another earthquake, possibly measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale , occurring before 2025 .4 CITYSCAPE Architecture See Also: List of architectural structures in Istanbul l1=Architectural structures at the Hippodrome Of Constantinople was brought from the Temple Of Karnak in Egypt by Theodosius The Great ]] was later filled with earth and used as a fertile ground for agriculture]] , built by Constantine , is the oldest continuously standing Byzantine church in the city. It was enlarged by Justinian in the 6th century. The mosaics in its interior were removed during the Iconoclastic Period and replaced with a simple cross]] The city has many architecturally significant entities, please see the List Of Architectural Structures In Istanbul . Throughout its long history, Istanbul has acquired a reputation for being a cultural and ethnic melting pot. As a result, there are many historical mosques, churches, synagogues, palaces, castles and towers to visit in the city. The most important monuments of Roman architecture in the city include the Column of Constantine ( and contains several fragments of the Original Cross and the bowl with which Virgin Mary washed the feet of Jesus (along with several other important artifacts) at its base, the Mazulkemer Aqueduct and Valens Aqueduct , Column of the Goths (''Gotlar Sütunu'') at the Seraglio Point, the ''Milion'' which served for calculating the distances between Constantinople and other cities of the Roman Empire, and the Hippodrome Of Constantinople which was built following the model of the Circus Maximus in Rome . Construction of the (reigned 450-457) dates from the same period as the triple land walls of Theodosius II. , built in 462, is the oldest surviving Byzantine church in the city with its original form (the 4th century Hagia Irene is older, but was enlarged during the reign of Justinian , when it received its current exterior appearance). Many important decisions regarding Christianity were made inside the Stoudios, which was the most important Monastery of Constantinople]] , built by Justinian between 532 and 537, is widely regarded as the masterpiece of Byzantine Architecture . It was the largest ever cathedral built in the world for more than a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in 1575, during the Renaissance ]] The early Byzantine architecture followed the classical Roman model of domes and arches, but further improved these architectural concepts, as evidenced with the Hagia Sophia which was designed by Isidorus and Anthemius as the third church to rise on this location, between 532 and 537 , following the Nika Revolt (532) during which the second church was destroyed (the first church, known as the ''Megala Ekklessia'' (''Great Church'') was inaugurated by Constantius II in 360 ; the second church was inaugurated by Theodosius II in 405 , while the third and current one was inaugurated by Justinian in 537 ). The Church Of Saints Sergius And Bacchus , which was the first church built by Justinian in Constantinople and edificed between 527 and 536 , had earlier signaled such an improvement in the design of domed buildings, which require complex solutions for carrying the structure. The Hagia Irene and Basilica Cistern are also from this period. , also known as the ''Little Hagia Sophia'', was the first new church built by Justinian in the city]] Even though most Byzantine churches that were built or enlarged by Justinian in the 6th century were originally built in the 4th century at the time of Constantine , the oldest surviving Byzantine church in Istanbul with its original form is the Stoudios (İmrahor) Monastery , which was built in 462 . The monastery is also known as ''St. John Stoudios'' because it was dedicated to St. John The Baptist . The roof of the building doesn't exist today, but its surrounding walls as well as its splendid floor decorations are still intact. Many important decisions regarding Christianity were made inside this building, including the heated debates on the identity of Virgin Mary (whether or not she was '' Theotokos '' (''Mother of God'') and whether it was right to condemn Nestorius who opposed this definition) as well as the debates and clashes on Iconoclasm . The most extant Byzantine structure which has survived from the reign of . It is a huge castle-like structure with several towers and a network of underground Byzantine prisons. Many churches with magnificent golden icons were built until the 8th century, when these icons were destroyed during the First Iconoclastic Period (730-787) which began with the reign of Leo III The Isaurian . Similar to the Islamic belief that images of Muhammad should be forbidden, the Orthodox Christian Iconoclasts of this period also believed that the images of Christ and other figures of Christianity on the walls of the churches constituted a sin, and they forcefully had them removed, despite the resistance of the priests who defended the icons, often causing civil strife. This was followed by the Second Iconoclastic Period (814-842) which was initiated by Leo V The Armenian . Following the decision by Theodora, Wife Of Theophilus , to restore the icons in 843 , many churches and other prominent Byzantine buildings in the city were adorned with new icons, but some, like Hagia Irene , still bear the signs of the iconoclastic period. The Boukoleon Palace largely dates from the reign of Theophilus . Byzantium 1200: Boukoleon Palace ]] During the Fourth Crusade in 1204 , most of the city's important buildings were sacked, and numerous architectural and artistic treasures were shipped to Venice , whose Doge , Enrico Dandolo , had organized the sack of Constantinople. These items include the famous Statue of the Tetrarchs and the four bronze horse statues that once stood at the top of the Hippodrome Of Constantinople , which today stand on the front facade of the Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice (the basilica itself was modeled after the Church Of The Holy Apostles in Constantinople, just like the Doge's Palace was modeled after the Boukoleon Palace ). ]] The , dates from the period of the Fourth Crusade. In these years, on the northern side of the Golden Horn , the Dominican priests of the Catholic Church built the Church Of Saint Paul in 1233 . The most important churches which were built after the Byzantines took Constantinople back in 1261 include the Pammakaristos Church and Chora Church . Also in this period, the Genoese Podestà of Galata , Montani de Marinis, built the ''Palazzo del Comune'' ( 1314 ), a copy of the San Giorgio Palace in Genoa , which still stands in ruins on the back streets of ''Bankalar Caddesi'' in Galata, together with its adjacent buildings and numerous Genoese houses from the early 1300s. The Genoese also built the Galata Tower , which they named as ''Christea Turris'' (Tower of Christ), at the highest point of the citadel of Galata, in 1348 . ]] The Ottoman Turks built the Anatolian Castle on the Asian side of the Bosphorus in 1394 , and the Rumeli Castle at the opposite (European) shore, in 1452 , a year before the conquest of Constantinople . The main purpose of these castles, armed with the long range ''Balyemez'' (''Faule Metze'') cannons, was to block the sea traffic of the Bosphorus and prevent the support ships from the Genoese colonies on the Black Sea ports, such as Caffa , Sinop , and Amasra , from reaching Constantinople and helping the Byzantines during the Turkish siege of the city. ]] Following the Ottoman conquest of the city, Sultan Mehmed II initiated a wide scale reconstruction plan, which included the construction of grand buildings such as the Eyüp Sultan Mosque , Fatih Mosque , Topkapı Palace , The Grand Bazaar and the Yedikule (Seven Towers) Castle which guarded the main entrance gate of the city, the Porta Aurea (Golden Gate). In the centuries following Mehmed II, many new important buildings, such as the Süleymaniye Mosque , Sultanahmet Mosque , Yeni Mosque and numerous others were constructed. Traditionally, Ottoman buildings were built of ornate wood. Only "state buildings" such as palaces and mosques were built of stone. Starting from the 18th and 19th centuries, wood was gradually replaced with stone as the primary building material, while traditional Ottoman architectural styles were replaced with European architectural styles, particularly following the Tanzimat movement which effectively started Turkey's Europeanization process in 1839 . But even before the Tanzimat period, European styles began to appear in the city, such as the Baroque style interiors of the Aynalıkavak Palace (1677-1679) and Nuruosmaniye Mosque (1748-1755, the first Baroque style mosque in the city, also famous for its Baroque fountain), and the 18th century Baroque additions to the Harem section of Topkapı Palace . ]] New palaces and mosques were built in Neoclassical , Baroque and Rococo styles, or a mixture of all three, such as the Dolmabahçe Palace , Dolmabahçe Mosque and Ortaköy (Mecidiye) Mosque . Even Neo-Gothic mosques were built, such as the Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Mosque and Yıldız (Hamidiye) Mosque. Large state buildings like schools or military barracks were also built in various European styles. in Beyoğlu ]] Starting from the early 19th century, the areas around İstiklal Avenue were filled with grandiose embassy buildings belonging to prominent European states, and rows of European (mostly Neoclassical and later Art Nouveau ) style buildings started to appear on both flanks of the avenue. Istanbul especially became a major center of the Art Nouveau movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with famous architects of this style like Raimondo D'Aronco building many palaces and mansions in the city proper and on the Princes' Islands . His most important works in the city include several buildings of the ''Yıldız Palace'' complex, and the ''Botter House'' on İstiklal Avenue. The famous '' Camondo Stairs'' on Bankalar Caddesi (Banks Street) in Karaköy ( Galata ) is also a beautiful example of Art Nouveau architecture. Other important examples are the ''Hıdiv Kasrı'' (Khedive Palace) on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, ''Flora Han'' in Sirkeci , and ''Frej Apartmanı'' in the Şişhane quarter of Beyoğlu . in Arnavutköy ]] Thus, by the mid 19th century, the southern part of the Golden Horn (the historic peninsula of Constantinople) had a traditionally Ottoman Turkish appearance and population, while the northern part of the Golden Horn became more and more Europeanized both in terms of architecture and in terms of demographics. The Galata Bridge had become a connection between the oriental and occidental (southern and northern) parts of the European side of Istanbul. The Bosphorus was regarded as a summer resort during the Ottoman period and the traditional wooden houses and mansions, called '' Yalı '', were the choice of the wealthy Ottoman elite. Most of the development happened during the Tulip Period , a period which is best represented by the Sadullah Paşa Yalısı built in 1783. The oldest surviving yalı is the Amcazade Köprülü Hüseyin Pasha yalı located in Kandilli on the Asiatic shores of the Bosphorus and dates from 1699. The wooden seaside chalet mansions retained their basic architectural principles until the middle of the 19th century, when they were gradually replaced by less flammable brick houses especially during the First Constitutional Period . The development of Yalı s lasted until the First World War . Urbanism See Also: List of urban centers in Istanbul l1=Urban centers off the coast of Üsküdar (ancient Chrysopolis ) on the Asian side]] in the quarter of Etiler is the only shopping mall in the world which won both "Europe's Best" and "World's Best" awards by ICSC ]] has rows of shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants lining up its wide granite pavements on both flanks]] The urban landscape is constantly changing. In the Greek, Roman and Byzantine periods, the city was largely made up of the historic peninsula of Constantinople , with the citadel of Galata (also called ''Sykae'' or '' Pera '') at north, and Chrysopolis ( Üsküdar ) and Chalcedon ( Kadıköy ) at east, across the Bosphorus . These were all independent cities back then. The present City of Istanbul can be considered the metropolitan area of old Constantinople, encompassing every single settlement around the original city, and expanding even further with the establishment of new neighbourhoods and districts since the 19th century. dominates the skyline of the medieval Genoese Citadel at the northern side of the Golden Horn ]] Until the early 19th century, the city walls of Galata , the medieval Genoese citadel, used to stand. These Genoese fortifications, of which only the Galata Tower stands today, were demolished in the early 1800s to give way for a northwards expansion of the city, towards the districts of Beşiktaş , Şişli , Nişantaşı , and beyond. In the last decades, numerous tall structures were built around the city to accommodate a rapid growth in population. Surrounding towns were absorbed into Istanbul as the city rapidly expanded outwards. The tallest highrise office and residential buildings are mostly located in the northern areas of the European side, and especially in the business and shopping districts of Levent , Maslak , and Etiler which are situated between the Bosphorus Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge . Levent and Etiler also have numerous upmarket shopping malls, like Kanyon , Metrocity , Akmerkez , Mayadrom and Mayadrom Uptown . The headquarters of Turkey's largest companies and banks are also located in this area. Starting from the second half of the 20th century, the Asian side of Istanbul, which was originally a tranquil place full of seaside summer residences and elegant chalet mansions surrounded by lush and vast umbrella pine gardens, experienced a massive urban growth. The construction of the long, wide and elegant Bağdat Avenue , with its rows of upscale shops and restaurants, contributed much to the initial expansion in the area. The fact that these areas were largely empty until the 1960s also provided the chance for developing better infrastructure and a tidier urban planning when compared with most other residential areas in the city. But the real expansion of the Asian side came with the opening of ''Ankara Asfaltı'', the Asian extension of the E5 highway, which is located to the north of Bağdat Avenue, parallel to the railway line. Another important factor in the recent growth of the Asian side of the city was migration from Anatolia . Today, more than 1/3 of the city's population live in the Asian side of Istanbul. As a result of Istanbul's exponential growth during the second half of the 20th century, a significant portion of the city's outskirts consist of '' Gecekondu s'', a Turkish word created in the 1940s meaning ‘built overnight’ and refers to the illegally constructed squatter buildings that comprise entire neighbourhoods and run rampant outside the historic centers of Turkey’s largest cities, especially Istanbul, Ankara , İzmir , and Bursa . According to the official definition stated in the ''Gecekondu'' Act of 1966 , these neighbourhoods are typically built on abandoned land or on lands owned by others, without the permission of the landowner, and do not obey building codes and regulations. At present, gecekondu areas are being gradually demolished and replaced by modern mass-housing compounds. ADMINISTRATION Organization As of 2007, the metropolitan mayor of Istanbul is Kadir Topbaş , see List Of Mayors Of Istanbul . Istanbul is a Home Rule city and municipal elections are mainly Partisan . The metropolitan model of governance has been used with the establishment of metropolitan administration in 1930. The metropolitan council is accepted as the competent authority for decision-making. The metropolitan government structure consists of three main organs: (1) The Metropolitan Mayor (elected every five years), (2) The Metropolitan Council (decision making body with the mayor, district Mayors, and one fifth of the district municipal councilors), (3) The metropolitan executive committee. There are three types of local authorities: (1) municipalities, (2) special provincial administrations, (3) village administrations. Among the local authorities, municipalities are gaining greater importance with the rise in urbanization. Districts Istanbul has 31 districts. However, these can be divided into three main areas: (1) the historic peninsula, (2) the areas north of the Golden Horn , and (3) the Asian side. The ''Historic Peninsula'' of old İstanbul comprises the districts of Eminönü and Fatih . This area lies on the southern shores of the Golden Horn which separates the old city center from the northern and younger parts of the European side. The ''Historic Peninsula'' ends with the Theodosian Land Walls in the west. The peninsula is surrounded by the Sea Of Marmara on the south and the Bosphorus on the east. North of the Golden Horn are the historical Beyoğlu and Beşiktaş districts, where The Last Sultan's Palace is located, followed by a chain of former villages such as Ortaköy and Bebek along the shores of the Bosphorus. On both the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus, wealthy Istanbulites built luxurious chalet mansions, called '' Yalı '', which were used as summer residences. The quarters of Üsküdar ( Chrysopolis ) and Kadıköy ( Chalcedon ) which are located on the Asian side were originally independent cities, like Beyoğlu ( Pera ) also used to be. Today they are full of modern residential areas and business districts, and are home to around one-third of Istanbul's population. DEMOGRAPHICS for the data (there is a table that generated this info)]] The population of the metropolis has more than tripled during the 25 years between 1980 and 2005 . Roughly 70% of all Istanbulites live in the European section and around 30% live in the Asian section. The graph shows the numbers of inhabitants by year. The doubling of the population of Istanbul between 1980 and 1985 is due to a natural increase in population as well as the expansion of municipal limits. According to the 2000 Census , the population was 8,803,468 (city proper) and 10,018,735 (metro area). The census bureau estimate for July 20 , 2005 was 11,322,000 for the Province , which is generally considered as the metropolitan area, making it one of the twenty Largest Metropolitan Areas in the world. Religion ]] The urban landscape of Istanbul is shaped by many communities. The most important and most populous major religion is Islam . The first mosque in Istanbul was built in Kadıköy (ancient Chalcedon ) on the Asian side of the city, which was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1353 , a full century before the conquest of Constantinople across the Bosphorus , on the European side. The first mosque on the European side of Istanbul was built inside the Rumeli Castle in 1452 . The first grand mosque which was built in the city proper is the Eyüp Sultan Mosque ( 1458 ), while the first imperial mosque inside the City Walls was the Fatih Mosque ( 1470 ) which was built on the site of the Church Of The Holy Apostles , an important Byzantine church which was originally edificed in the time of Constantine The Great . Many other imperial mosques were built in the following centuries, such as the famous Süleymaniye Mosque ( 1557 ) which was ordered by Suleiman The Magnificent and designed by the great Ottoman architect Sinan , and the famous Sultan Ahmet Mosque ( 1616 ) which is also known as the '' Blue Mosque '' for the blue tiles which adorn its interior. Istanbul was the final seat of the Islamic Caliphate , between 1517 and 1924 . The personal belongings of Mohammed and the earliest Caliph s who followed him are today preserved in the Topkapı Palace , the Eyüp Sultan Mosque and in several other prominent mosques of Istanbul. ]] According to the 2000 census, there were 2691 active Mosque s, 123 active Church es and 26 active Synagogue s in Istanbul; as well as 109 Muslim cemeteries and 57 non-Muslim cemeteries. Religious minorities include Greek Orthodox Christians , Armenian Christians , Catholic Levantines and Sephardic Jews . Some districts have sizeable populations of these ethnic groups, such as the Kumkapı district which has a sizeable Armenian population, the Balat district which has a sizeable Jewish population, the Fener district which has a sizeable Greek population, and some neighbourhoods in the Nişantaşı and Beyoğlu districts which have sizeable Levantine populations. In some quarters, such as Kuzguncuk , an Armenian church sits next to a synagogue, and on the other side of the road a Greek Orthodox church is found beside a mosque. The Seat of the Patriarch Of Constantinople , spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Church is located in the Fener ( Phanar ) district. Also based in Istanbul are the archbishop of the Turkish- Orthodox community, an Armenian archbishop, and the Turkish Grand- Rabbi . , formerly the Church of Christ Pantokrator , is the second largest surviving Byzantine religious structure in the city]] Following the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453 , the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II established the Millet System , according to which the different ethnic groups within Constantinople and the rest of the Ottoman Empire were to be governed by a group of institutions based on faith. For this purpose, Mehmed II also founded previously non-existent religious authorities such as the Armenian Patriarchate Of Constantinople in 1461 . Earlier, the Byzantines considered the Armenian Church as Heretic and did not allow the Armenians to have churches inside the Walls Of Constantinople . Several Armenian saints, such as Saint Narses , were exiled and imprisoned in the Princes' Islands near Constantinople, in the Sea Of Marmara . With the Millet System, a great deal of the internal affairs regarding these communities were assigned to the administration of these religious authorities; such as the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the affairs of all Orthodox Christians, the Armenian Patriarchate for the affairs of the Armenian (and for some time also the Syriac) Christians, and later the Grand Rabbi for the affairs of the Jews. The population of the Armenian and Greek minorities in Istanbul greatly declined beginning in the late 19th century. The city's Greek Orthodox community were exempted from the Population Exchange Between Greece And Turkey of 1923. However, a series of special restrictions and taxes beginning in the 1930s (see, e.g., '' Varlık Vergisi ''), finally culminating in the Istanbul Pogrom of 1955, greatly increased emigration, and in 1964, all Greeks without Turkish citizenship residing in Turkey (around 100,000) were deported. Today, most of Turkey's remaining Greek and Armenian minorities live in or near Istanbul. Beside the Levantine s, who are the descendants of European traders (mostly Genoese , Venetian and French ) who established trading outposts during the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, there is also a small, scattered number of Bosphorus Germans . A number of places reflect past movements of different communities into Istanbul, most notably Arnavutköy (Albanian village), Polonezköy (Polish village) and Yeni Bosna (New Bosnia). , now a museum, is famous for its well-preserved Byzantine mosaics and frescoes from the Palaiologan Period ]] The Sephardic Jews have lived in the city for over 500 years, see the History Of The Jews In Turkey . Together with the Arabs , the Sephardic Jews fled the Iberian Peninsula during the Spanish Inquisition of 1492 , when they were forced to convert to Christianity after the fall of the Moorish Kingdom Of Andalucia . The Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II ( 1481 - 1512 ) sent a sizeable fleet to Spain under the command of Kemal Reis in order to save the Arabs and Sephardic Jews who were tortured and killed because of their faith. More than 200,000 Spanish Jews fled first to Tangier , Algiers , Genova and Marseille , later to Salonica and finally to Istanbul. The Sultan granted Ottoman citizenship to over 93,000 of these Spanish Jews. Another large group of Sephardic Jews came from southern Italy which was under Spanish control. The ''İtalyan Sinagogu'' (''Italian Synagogue'') in Galata is mostly frequented by the descendants of these Italian Jews in Istanbul. The Sephardic Jews of Iberia and Italy contributed much to the rising power of the Ottoman Empire by introducing new ideas, methods and craftsmanship. The first Gutenberg Press in Istanbul was established by the Sephardic Jews in 1493 , who excelled in many areas, particularly Medicine , Trade and Banking . The Camondo family was highly influential in the Ottoman banking sector. The famous ''Camondo Stairs'' on the ''Bankalar Caddesi'' (''Banks Street'') in Karaköy ( Galata ) was built by them. More than 20,000 Sephardic Jews still remain in Istanbul today. has the largest amount of Byzantine mosaics in Istanbul after the Hagia Sophia and Chora Church ]] There is also a relatively smaller and more recent community of Ashkenazi Jews in Istanbul who continue to live in the city since the 19th century. The ''Avusturya Sinagogu'' (''Austrian Synagogue''), also known as the ''Aşkenaz (Askhenazi) Sinagogu'' is one of the most famous synagogues in Istanbul and stands out with its interesting architecture. A second large wave of Ashkenazi Jews came to Istanbul during the 1930s and 1940s following the rise of Nazism in Germany which persecuted the Ashkenazi Jews of central and eastern Europe. Today, a total of 26 active synagogues are to be found in the city, the most important of them being the Neve Shalom Synagogue inaugurated in 1951 , in the Beyoğlu quarter. The Turkish Grand Rabbi in Istanbul (currently Ishak Haleva) presides over community affairs. A decrease in the population of the city's Jewish community occurred after the independence of the State Of Israel in 1948, but the Turkish Jews who migrated to that country helped to establish strong relationships between Turkey and Israel. The founders of the State of Israel and prominent Israeli politicians such as David Ben-Gurion , Yitzhak Ben-Zvi and Moshe Shertok had all studied in the leading Turkish schools of Istanbul in their youth, namely Galatasaray Lisesi and Istanbul University . , originally built as the Dominican Church of St. Paul in 1233, is one of the most important buildings dating from the Latin Empire ]] During the Byzantine period, the Genoese Podestà ruled over the Italian community of Galata , which was mostly made up of the Genoese, Venetians , Tuscans and Ragusans . Following the Turkish siege of Constantinople in 1453, during which the Genoese sided with the Byzantines and defended the city together with them, the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II allowed the Genoese (who had fled to their colonies in the Aegean Sea such as Lesbos and Chios ) to return back to the city, but Galata was no longer run by a Genoese Podestà. Venice, Genoa's archrival, did not miss the opportunity to regain control in the strategic citadel of Galata (Pera), which they were forced to leave in 1261 when the Byzantines retook Constantinople and brought an end to the Latin Empire (1204-1261) that was established by Enrico Dandolo , the Doge of Venice . The Republic Of Venice immediately established political and commercial ties with the Ottoman Empire, and a Venetian Baylo (Bailiff) was sent to Pera as a political and commercial ambassador, similar to the role of the Genoese Podestà during the Byzantine period. The Venetians sent Gentile Bellini to Constantinople, who crafted the famous portrait of Sultan Mehmed II , which is found today in the National Portrait Gallery of London. It was also the Venetians who suggested Leonardo Da Vinci to Bayezid II when the Sultan mentioned his intention to construct a bridge over the Golden Horn , and Leonardo designed his Galata Bridge in 1502, the sketches and drawings of which are located today in the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia of Milan. ]] The Baylo's seat was the Venetian Palace, currently the Italian Consulate (and formerly the Italian Embassy until 1923, when . The Ottoman Empire had an interesting relationship with the Republic of Venice. Even though the two states often went to war over the control of East Mediterranean territories and islands, they were keen on restoring their trade pacts once the wars were over, such as the renewed trade pacts of 1479, 1503, 1522, 1540 and 1575 following major sea wars between the two sides. The Venetians were also the first Europeans to taste Ottoman delicacies such as Coffee , centuries before other Europeans saw coffee beans for the first time in their lives during the Battle Of Vienna in 1683. These encounters can be described as the beginning of today's rich "coffee culture" in both Venice (and later the rest of Italy) and Vienna. on the Bosphorus is one of the most beautiful examples of Ottoman Neo-Baroque architecture]] There were more than 40,000 Catholic Italians in Istanbul at the turn of the 20th century, a figure which not only included the descendants of the local Genoese and Venetian merchants who lived here since the Byzantine and early Ottoman periods, but also the numerous Italian workers and artisans who came to the city from Italy during the 19th century. . The number of Istanbul's Italians decreased after the end of the Ottoman Empire for several reasons. The Turkish Republic no longer recognized the trade privileges that were given to the descendants of the Genoese and Venetian merchants, and foreigners were no longer allowed to work in Turkey in a wide number of sectors, including many artisanships, in which numerous Istanbulite Italians used to work. The '' Varlık Vergisi '' (Wealth Tax) of the World War II years, which imposed higher tariffs on non-Muslims and foreigners in Turkey, also played an important role in the migration of Istanbul's Italians to Italy - who still live in the city, but in far fewer numbers when compared with the early 20th century. The influence of the Italian community of Istanbul, however, is still visible in the architecture of many quarters, particularly Galata , Beyoğlu and Nişantaşı . Crime The overwhelming majority of crime is non-violent in nature. There are remarkably few assaults or robberies in which guns or knives are used.5 Pickpockets work in tourist areas, particularly around Taksim Square . In November 2003 Al Qaida -affiliated suicide bombers blew up the British Consulate, the HSBC Bank, and two synagogues, killing dozens and wounding hundreds of people. These incidents represent a significant change from prior attacks in Turkey and show an increased willingness on the part of terrorists to attack Western targets.6 While the threat of terrorism remains high in Istanbul as in most Western cities, the most significant threat to safety comes from vehicular accidents.7 ECONOMY ]] Historically, Istanbul has been the center of the country's economic life because of its location as an international junction of Land and Sea trade routes. In 2005 the City of Istanbul had a GDP of $133 billion, outranking many prominent cities in the world including Singapore , Mumbai , Rome , Montreal , Milan , Beijing , Cairo , Jakarta , Vienna , Delhi , Bangkok , Tehran , St. Petersburg , Johannesburg , Stockholm , Cape Town , Berlin , Athens , Birmingham , Manchester , Hamburg , Turin , Lyon , Munich , Warsaw , Naples , Ankara , Amsterdam , Rotterdam , Brussels and many others, according to a research conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) . PriceWaterhouseCoopers: U.K. Economic Outlook and Global City GDP Ranking 2005-2020 Full Report (PDF) PriceWaterhouseCoopers: Global City GDP Rankings 2005-2020 Press Release Hürriyet: İstanbul 133 milyar dolarlık oldu dünyanın 34’üncü zengini çıktı as seen from Rumelihisarı ]] In Turkey's exports grew a further +16.1% while imports grew +17.6% because of a rising demand of energy resources and raw materials by the industrial manufacturers in the country. State Statistics Institute of the Republic of Turkey: Statistics of Foreign Trade (1923-2006) near Topkapı Palace ]] Income distribution is not fairly balanced in Istanbul, such that 20% of the highest income group uses 64% of the resources and 20% of the lowest income group uses 4% of the resources (based on 1994 statistics).8 The change in Istanbul's living standards is a direct reflection of the nation's statistics as the 27.5% share of the total consumption in Turkey is performed by the population of Istanbul. In the late 1990 s, the economy of Turkey, and Istanbul in particular, suffered several major depressions. The Asian Financial Crisis between July 1997 and the beginning of 1998 , as well as the crisis in Russia between August 1998 and the middle of 1999 had negative effects in all areas of the economy, particularly on Exports . Following this setback, a slow reorganization of the economy of Istanbul was observed in 1999. The major Earthquake which was epicentered in nearby Kocaeli on August 17 th, 1999 , triggered one of the largest economic shocks for the city. Apart from the capital and human losses caused by the disaster, a decrease in GDP of approximately two percent occurred. Despite these downturns, Istanbul's economy has strongly improved and recovered in the recent years. Financial Sector financial district]] Istanbul has always been the "financial capital" of Turkey, even after Ankara became the new political capital in 1923. The opening of specific markets in the city during the 1980s further strengthened this status. Inaugurated at the beginning of 1986 , the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) is the sole securities market of Turkey, established to provide trading in equities, right coupons, Government bonds, Treasury bills, revenue sharing certificates, bonds issued by the Privatization Administration and corporate bonds, and to carry out overnight transactions.9 financial district]] In 1993 the ISE decided on gold market liberalization, and in 1995 the Istanbul Gold Exchange was established, which ended the gold bullion imports monopoly of the Turkish Central Bank and transferred it to the private sector members of the gold exchange.10 Levent and Maslak financial districts are home to the headquarters of Turkey's largest companies and banks, as well as the local headquarters of global giants of the financial sector such as Citibank , Merrill Lynch , J. P. Morgan , HSBC , ABN Amro , Fortis , ING Bank , BNP Paribas , Société Générale , Banca Di Roma , UniCredit , WestLB , Deutsche Bank , Commerzbank , and many others. Both Levent and Maslak have a constantly growing and changing dynamic skyline with several new skyscraper projects being proposed, approved and initiated every year. Industry , the fashion district of Istanbul and seat of the Turkish textiles industry]] Istanbul is the "industrial center" of Turkey. It employs approximately 20% of Turkey's Industrial labor and contributes 38% of Turkey's industrial workspace. In addition, the city generates 55% of Turkey's trade and 45% of the country's Wholesale trade, and generates 21.2% of Turkey's Gross National Product . Istanbul contributes 40% of all taxes collected in Turkey and produces 27.5% of Turkey's national product. Many of Turkey's major manufacturing plants are located in the city. Istanbul and its surrounding province produce Cotton , Fruit , Olive Oil , Silk , and Tobacco . Food processing, textile production, oil products, rubber, metal ware, leather, chemicals, electronics, glass, machinery, paper and paper products, and alcoholic drinks are among the city's major industrial products. The city also has plants that assemble automobiles and trucks.
Tourism and Levent from The Marmara Hotel, with the "Conference Valley" in the center of the frame]] as seen from the entrance of Metrocity ]] Istanbul is one of the most important tourism spots of Turkey. There are thousands of and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul reached 5,346,658, rising from 4,849,353 in 2005. Sabah: Turist sayısı genelde düştü İstanbul'da arttı |
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