With its strategic location, role in history, urban memory, tourist attractions, architectural works and hundreds of centuries of cultural accumulation, Istanbul is positioned as one of the cities in the world where life continues 24 hours a day.
The ancient city of Istanbul, is a source of inspiration for many poets, as in the poem "Canım Istanbul" by Necip Fazıl Kısakürek; "Her şafak Hisarlarda oklar çıkar yayından / Hala çığlıklar gelir Topkapı Sarayı'ndan / Ana gibi yar olmaz, İstanbul gibi diyar; / Güleni şöyle dursun, ağlayanı bahtiyar.../ Gecesi sümbül kokan / Türkçesi bülbül kokan/ İstanbul, İstanbul..."
Being in a unique position in the world with its feature that unites the Asian and European continents, Istanbul fascinates its visitors with its natural beauties, skyscrapers rising to the sky, minarets, gilded domes and historical buildings.
It impresses with its nostalgic tram that pierces the roar of the crowd, the necklace bridges of the Bosphorus that shine like rubies in the dark of the night, the ferry whistles mingling with the sounds of seagulls, the majestic centuries-old mosques and churches, and the fishermen who are always fishing in Galata.
The city, which is used as a natural plateau in many movie sets from Yeşilçam to Hollywood, hosts the legendary love story of Galata Tower and Maiden's Tower.
The ancient city, which has the title of the only city in the world with a sea passing through and having land on two continents, continues to be the city of trade and culture for centuries due to the strategic location of sea, land and air routes.
A visual feast with a drone in the sky of Istanbul
The AA team revealed the city's dynamism by viewing the streets of Istanbul, the "city that never sleeps", which is shown among the best travel destinations and photography cities in the world, from the same points day and night.
The residents and visitors of Istanbul, which has been home to many civilizations for centuries, witness many stories both in the depth of history and in the modern world in this unique city.
The Fatih district of Suriçi Istanbul, whose settlement date dates back approximately 8500 years, has been the center of the city as the most lively trade point during the day since the Ottoman period.
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, 15 July Martyrs Bridge, Golden Horn Bridge, Mecidiyeköy, Taksim, Üsküdar, as well as the coastlines of both sides of the city, especially on weekends, are among the locations with the highest vehicle traffic.
When illuminated at night, Istanbul stands out with its fortresses as well as landmarks such as the Galata Tower and Çamlıca Mosque, and life continues day and night without stopping.
Istanbul, the center of history, culture and entertainment
According to the Tourism Statistics Report, Istanbul hosted 16 million 18 thousand 726 tourists in 2022, which is 35.95 percent of the foreign visitors coming to Turkey.
Istanbul, one of the cities with the richest religious and ethnic diversity in the world, attracts great attention to its cosmopolitan districts such as Balat, Fener, Karaköy and Kuzguncuk, where people of all colors have lived together for centuries.
Every day, thousands of people follow the traces of many cultures in the city, where synagogues and churches live side by side, as well as mosques such as the Blue Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, Hagia Sophia-i Kebir Mosque-i Şerifi and Büyük Mecidiye Mosque, which form the silhouette of the city.
From Istiklal Street, one of the first spots visited by foreign tourists, where the heart of the city beats every hour of the day, to Bağdat Caddesi, the prestigious shopping point of the city, which was the route of caravans in the Ottoman period, life continues in the streets that have become the center of attraction of Istanbul, even late at night.