Istanbul

A city on the water

Water defines Istanbul. The Bosphorus runs for roughly thirty kilometres between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, while the Golden Horn cuts a sheltered inlet into the European side. Ferries criss-cross all day, and for many residents the commute between continents is simply part of the morning.

Türkiye's largest city is home to more than fifteen million people, yet it is a patchwork of distinct neighbourhoods: the historic peninsula of Sultanahmet, the steep streets of Galata and Beyoğlu, the waterfront villages of the upper Bosphorus and the relaxed, residential Asian side around Kadıköy and Üsküdar.

Empires written in stone

Founded as the Greek colony of Byzantium, the city became Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, in the fourth century. After 1453 it was the heart of the Ottoman Empire until 1922. Roman walls, Byzantine churches, Ottoman mosques by the architect Mimar Sinan and nineteenth-century palaces stand within a short walk of one another.

Food, markets and everyday life

Istanbul eats well and often. Mornings begin with simit and tea, lunches are built around meze, grilled fish and slow-cooked dishes from family-run lokantas, and evenings drift towards the waterfront. The spice market and neighbourhood bazaars remain living places of trade rather than museums.

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons; summers are warm and humid, winters cool and rainy, with occasional snow. Distances are large and traffic can be heavy, so the ferry, metro and tram networks are often the quickest way to move.

A centre for medical travel

Istanbul has one of the largest concentrations of private and university hospitals in the region, including facilities accredited by international bodies, and it is the main gateway for international patients arriving in Türkiye. Its two international airports connect it directly with much of the world, which makes it a practical base for consultations, procedures and follow-up visits.