Many of the world’s most famous architectural monuments were erected in celebration of great military victories. In contrast, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as

There are two Istanbuls. One is historic, an ancient city with abundance of cultural treasures — from the Egyptian Obelisk to the walls of the Roman hippodrome and Ottoman monuments. Then there is modern Istanbul, a vibrant metropolis of 15 million.

The name Ortakoy means “the village in the middle”, as it is nestled between the two villages of Asrakoy and Pynarkoy. When Istanbul was captured by the Ottomans, Ortakoy was a multinational district, housing Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Turkish peoples in one territory.

A complete guide to Beyoglu Istanbul. Beyoglu known for its architecture and creative community of artists, writers, performers and media types. It is also a major business center, a popular cultural and vacation destination, and the sort of place where life never stops moving for a minute.

The Grand Bazaar or Kapalicarsi as the locals call it ,is often thought to be a tourist trap but I think it couldn’t be further from the truth . Tourist traps from my experience, are tourist activities that stage the natural environment or experience but are in fact totally fake.