Istanbul is the most populated and the richest city in Turkey housing a population of approximately 13 million people which makes it also one of the largest cities in Europe. The city borders reach both Asia and Europe and that makes it the only city that is located on two continents. Istanbul was the capital of Byzantine Empire until it was conquered by Ottomans in 1453. The date is considered in modern history to be the end of Middle Ages. The modern day city is very different than what is used to be and witnessed so many changes and challenges since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire during the beginning of Twentieth Century. Because of its perfect location, Istanbul throughout centuries has never lost its important status as a port of commerce and a business center. With Turkey’s economy emerging again due to the latest reforms in the last years, the city has again started showing progress in going back to its glamorous days. Istanbul is one of the nine candidates for the upcoming 2012 Olympics and it also hosts many different international conferences and exhibitions throughout the year. Istanbul has a well-established transportation system with bus routes reaching almost anywherein the city, trains from both Asia and Europe making it into downtown, various sizes of boats and ferries cruising along the coast of Bosphorus, a new and fast subway although it only serves a route with limited stations. Yellow cabs are easy to find almost anywhere in the city and they are a lot cheaper than it would cost at a western country. Taxis all charge according to a standard a meter and it doesn’t cost a considerable amount to ride cabs in Istanbul unless the distance is really long. But, some taxi drivers are known to turn the ride into a thrill or a race which is not really fun unless you are missing your flight or in any kind of other emergency. Tipping is not needed at the cabs but you can round up the fee to the next Turkish Lira. You are not supposed to leave any extra cash after that. The traffic, however, is likely to slow down a lot or almost halt at a lot of intersections during the rush hours. The city center, however, has a lot to offer so this may be the ideal time of the day to take a walk around and discover what the city has to offer. On most of the popular routes, it is possible to take a shared cab which is called ‘Dolmus”. They are slightly bigger than regular taxis and they look like vans that can accommodate a total of 8 people including the driver. These automobiles are also yellow in color. The sign on the top of these autos reads ‘Dolmus” instead of “Taksi”. While some models might accommodate less people, most of them have a seating capacity of up to 8 people and they all charge a flat fee along the route depending on the distance. You can take the city boat or the ferry to cruise over the Bosporus strait going all directions from Europe to Asia or the other way around. One of the best options to explore Istanbul is to do so on Bosporus. That is really a sight other than having the advantage of paying nothing more than a regular transportation charge. For a short trip from the European side, just hop on a ferry to Uskudar and you will be back in an hour or quicker. If you are planning on riding the ferry, the bus or the subway, it is advisable to purchase “akbil” which is a pre-paid electronic chip embedded on a plastic similar to a key fob. Akbil allows users to save up to 20% of the total transportation costs during your trips. You can use the pre-paid credit on “Akbil” and you will have access to city’s entire public transportation network with just a tap on the turnstiles. At all times, there is a direct bus service between the two airports of Istanbul and the Taksim Square. Taksim is considered the center of the transportation network, with buses, subways and dolmus' coming in from numerous destinations all around the city. Taksim central bus stop and the central metro station is only a couple of minutes from the infamous Taksim Square. Notable places to visit in the Istanbul include the St. Sophia and Yerebatan Cistern from the Byzantine period and the Ottoman palaces. Most of these historic sites are located in the old Istanbul part of the city and long term parking garages are available in this part of the city for those interested in leaving their car for medium to longer periods.
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Istanbul is the most populated and the richest city in Turkey housing a population of approximately 13 million people which makes it also one of the largest cities in Europe. The city borders reach both Asia and Europe and that makes it the only city that is located on two continents. Istanbul was the capital of Byzantine Empire until it was conquered by Ottomans in 1453. The date is considered in modern history to be the end of Middle Ages. The modern day city is very different than what is ...
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