Istanbul: The Pearl of History

If you ever take a look at some of the related publications presenting Istanbul, you will see that almost every passage begins with such phrases as "the gateway between Europe and Asia", "the crossroads of many important routes since centuries", “a bridge between ages, nations and civilizations". Istanbul has captivated generations of travelers. Writers and poets as diverse as Lady Mary Montagu and Lord Byron, Lamartine and Pierre Loti, have eulogized its forested shores sprinkled with palaces and ancient timber mansions. It stands on the shores of the uniquely beautiful Bosphorous where the waters of the Black Sea combine with those of the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn. Istanbul is a province designed to be the capital, and it has been the capital of three empires that used to dominate the world. Even today, after decades of rampant urbanization, its remaining imperial residences, summer embassies and pashas’ houses paint a convincing picture of the city’s glorious imperia...