34 interesting facts about Istanbul

Amazing in its diversity, Istanbul is one of the oldest cities on Earth. It has changed hands countless times, and all these cultures and eras have left their mark on it, making it truly unique. Of course, most tourists arriving in Turkey go somewhere to Antalya, but this city, of course, deserves the closest attention. It leaves no one indifferent.

Facts about the city of Istanbul

1. Istanbul was founded in 667 BC. is.
2. At different times, Istanbul managed to be the capital of 4 different empires.
3. It is the only city in the world located both in Asia and in Europe.
4. In terms of population, Istanbul is slightly ahead of Moscow, which makes it the most populous city in Europe.
5. When founded, the city was called Byzantium. Now ancient Byzantium is one of the districts of the Old City of Istanbul.
6. After the capture by the Turks, the city of Constantinople was renamed Istanbul by them and appointed the new capital of the Ottoman Empire (interesting facts about Turkey).
7. Istanbul is really safe. Cunning traders can easily deceive in the market here, but tourists walking the streets in the evening have nothing to fear.
8. In terms of the number of marriages registered annually, Istanbul ranks second in the world. The American Las Vegas holds the first for now.
9. Contrary to a common myth, the capital of the Republic of Turkey is not Istanbul, but Ankara.
10. Street food here is as affordable as anywhere else in Thailand, and it is also sold literally on every corner (interesting facts about Thailand).
11. There are more than 500 public baths in Istanbul, which are called hamams here. The temperature in them is usually maintained at 40-50 degrees.
12. The Istanbul Grand Bazaar is the largest indoor market in the world.
13. The Greeks still call this city Constantinople, and the Turks always it was called Istanbul, so it was never officially renamed.
14. In Turkish and English, the name of the city is pronounced as «Istanbul».
15. People lived on territories of modern Istanbul more than 8.5 thousand years ago.
16. A huge number of tourists come here every year. Only the main Istanbul attractions each year bring in more than $ 30 million to the state treasury of Turkey, not to mention a little less famous.
17. One day, a record low temperature of -16.1 degrees was recorded in Istanbul.
18. The rooms and halls of Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace cover an area of ​​700,000 square meters.
19. Famous throughout the East, the main market of Istanbul is located on 66 streets, on which there are about 4 thousand shops and outlets.
20. Throughout the history of this city, it was ruled by 10 Roman emperors, 30 Ottoman sultans and more than 80 Byzantine rulers.
21. About 20% of the total population of Turkey lives in Istanbul.
22. The most famous train in the world, the «Orient Express», made famous by the work of Agatha Christie, runs between Istanbul and Paris.
23. Istanbul Metro is one of the oldest in the world.
24. There are more public toilets in Istanbul than in any other city in the world.
25. The Church of St. Stephen of Bulgaria located here is the only church in the world built entirely of iron.
26. At the beginning of the last century about half of the inhabitants of Istanbul were Christians, but now most of the local population is Muslim. Nevertheless, there are a lot of temples of various world religions and confessions.
27. More than 20 districts of Istanbul are fully recognized as world cultural and historical heritage.
28. All over Istanbul you can see small houses with bowls in front of them. They are intended for stray cats.
29. Numerous ferries connect the European and Asian parts of Istanbul.
30. Under the Bosphorus Strait, which separates the city and the continents in general, the world’s deepest underground train tunnel has been laid. This line is called «Marmaray», and its construction lasted as much as 9 years.
31. The length of the suspension bridge over the Bosphorus exceeds 1.5 kilometers.
32. It was in Istanbul that the invention was made such a popular delicacy as Turkish delight.
33. In Istanbul’s Miniaturk Park, you can look at reduced, but very accurate copies of all Turkish sights at once.
34. The largest oceanarium in Europe is located precisely in Istanbul.