| 4 mins read
Istanbul has the unique distinction of being the only city that straddles the continents of Asia and Europe; but that is not the only claim to the novelty and allure of this captivating city. Listed below are several fascinating facts about Istanbul that most people might not know about:
✦Istanbul is one of the oldest settlements of humankind. The Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman Empire gave it the status of a capital city through their reigns. Ironically, the present capital of Turkey is Ankara though Istanbul still rules the popularity charts and is the most sought after destination for travellers to Turkey.
✦Originally called Byzantium, the roman Emperor Constantine renamed it Constantinople in 330AD, when he built the city on seven hills, similar to those back home in Rome. Though it was renamed Istanbul in 1930, it took some time and innovative measures by the government to make sure the name stuck, like not delivering letters posted to “ Constantinople”!
✦In the year 1502, Istanbul was the world's most crowded city. This title was taken away by London in the year 1840. It is today the most populated city of Turkey and one of the largest cities of the world with a population comparable to the country of Belgium.
✦If you're wondering where to first go to in Istanbul, head to The Blue Mosque. It is the only mosque in Istanbul to have six minarets, one more than Mecca's Grand Mosque. This was considered to be so disrespectful in the Islamic community at the time that an additional minaret had to be added to the Grand Mosque to resolve this problem.
✦Until the construction of the Seville Cathedral, Istanbul's Hagia Sophia was the world's largest church for 900 years. It was a finalist for the New Seven Wonders of the World but was not selected eventually.
✦Any comprehensive guide to Istanbul will list the Grand Bazaar as one of the main attractions of the city. But few know that it is the largest and the oldest historical covered market in the world with over 3000 shops spread out on 61 covered streets. This knowledge before hand augurs well for any visitor to get their sneakers on before jumping into the deluge of colourful Turkish wares and food for a hard bargain.
✦Although tea is currently the national drink of Turkey, it is only recently that the locals took to this drink. Over the years Turkish coffee became very expensive and because of its unfavorable climate, it can no longer be produced in Turkey.
✦More on coffee: The first coffeehouse opened in Istanbul in the year 1554. Coffee was introduced to Austria by the Turks in 1683 when their army entered Vienna to lay siege.
✦The four famous bronze horses in Venice's San Marco Cathedral were taken from Constantinople (Istanbul) in the 13th century.
✦In 1954, the Bosphorus waterway froze completely. People could cross the strait from one side to the other on foot easily.
✦The most valuable exhibit in the Topkapi Palace Museum of Istanbul is the Spoonmaker Diamond or Kasikci. It is a pear shaped 86-carat diamond surrounded by two rows of 49 mine cut diamonds.
✦There have been several famous people who have spent a lot of time in Istanbul, and drawn inspiration from it, such as Pierre Loti, Agatha Christie, Gustave Flaubert, Florence Nightingale, Franz Liszt and Kaiser Wilhelm. In fact, Agatha Christie's famous "Murder on the Orient Express" was written in Istanbul's Pera Palas Hotel.
✦Istanbul makes up for over a quarter of the total GDP of Turkey. It is currently one of the world's fastest growing economies and a global city.
✦Calling Istanbul the hotbed of Soccer would be an understatement with emotions barely under check for this popular sport. In fact, to make the sport amenable to women and children, the city regularly hosts Ladies nights for a more pleasant experience.
Photo Credit: https://flic.kr/p/djcHfc (Moyan Brenn, CC BY 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/amWavX(Enrique Freire,CC BY 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/8jWttX (Henrik Berger Jørgensen, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/cK5C85(Jason Pearce,CC BY-NC-SA 2.0),https://flic.kr/p/dvX7TE (LWYang, CC BY 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/5G9UrU (Christian Ostrosky, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), https://flic.kr/p/dMZgxL (Jorge Láscar, CC BY 2.0)