Why Is Istanbul So Important? | 5 Popular Reasons

Istanbul is one of the most touristic cities in the world and attracts many tourists due to its location in Europe and Asia. It is the most important city in Turkey, and it is important for many reasons. If you are looking for an answer to the question of why is Istanbul so important, then read this article until the end from Travelling Topic magazine to know why Istanbul is important and why Istanbul is the best city. In this article, you will learn about water park in istanbul, entertainment places in Istanbul, the history of Istanbul, the population of Istanbul, reasons to visit Istanbul, and things to do in Istanbul.

Why is Istanbul so important?

As we mentioned in the article “Is Istanbul In Europe Or Asia” Istanbul is a city in which part of it is located in the continent of Asia, and the other part is in Europe. The famous Bosphorus Bridge connects these two parts, so the city of Istanbul is called the bridge between two continents.

Istanbul is considered the most populated city in Turkey and the cultural, historical, and economic center of Turkey. Also, one of the reasons for the importance of the city of Istanbul is that it has caused Turkey to be located in Europe. For this reason, Turkey can benefit from some advantages of being European.

The city of Istanbul is one of the most tourist cities in Turkey, and many tourists travel to this city every year, and because of this, they bring a lot of money into the country of Turkey; for this reason, the city of Istanbul is Important for the Turkish government.

In response to the question “why is Istanbul so popular,” it should be mentioned that this city has many historical monuments, which is why it is very famous. People travel to this city to visit the historical places of Istanbul and cause the growth of Turkey’s economy. Historical places such as Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and other historical places attract tourists to this city, and for this reason, they have made Istanbul an important city.

History of Istanbul | Why is Istanbul so important?

To find the answer to the question “why was Istanbul important,” you must first get to know the history of this city. 500 years BC, Istanbul was conquered by Cyrus the Great, and this city was considered part of the great Iranian empire in those years.  

After 200 years, with the rise of Roman power, this city was occupied by the great Roman commander Constantine the Great, and the name of this city was changed to New Rome. Of course, many people did not welcome the new name, and people called this city Constantinople or the town of Constantine at that time.

In 395 AD, one of the children of Constantine the Great, who also called himself Constantine, separated from the Roman Empire and started the Eastern Roman rule (Byzantine rule) in the western parts of Turkey and introduced the city of Istanbul as his capital and named this city and changed Istanbul names to Byzantium.

The Seljuks and Turks of Turkey took advantage of the division between the Roman Empire and the weakness of the Iranian Empire. They started establishing a government in the eastern and central parts of Turkey. This was the foundation of a great empire called the Ottoman.

In 1300, Osman, the first ruler of the Ottoman Empire, founded the Ottoman government by creating an alliance with the Turks of his region and by creating a strong army and named his hometown Ankara the capital of the Ottoman state.

In 1453 AD, Sultan Muhammad Fatih created a great honor for the Ottoman Empire. He conquered the city of Constantinople or Constantine, which was also considered the capital of Eastern Rome at that time, and ended the rule of Eastern Rome in this region.

Sultan Muhammad Fatih chose the name Istanbul, and from that date onwards, Istanbul became an important city for the Ottoman government to attack Europe; Also, Sultan Muhammad changed his capital from Ankara to Istanbul to better support his expansions from the west to Europe.

The city of Istanbul was considered the capital of Turkey until the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. And Atatürk personally changed the capital from Istanbul to Ankara in that year.

To know what Istanbul was called in the past, we have introduced a list of the names of the city of Istanbul in the past:

• Bozas
• Byzantium
• Byzantium
• Constantinople or the poetry of Constantine
• Islambol
• New Rome

What is the geographical location of Istanbul?

Istanbul is near the North Anatolian fault; over the years, severe earthquakes caused the destruction of the historical buildings of this city. These earthquakes have caused thousands of people to lose their lives and property and become displaced. Regarding geographical location, Istanbul is divided into two European and Asian parts by the Bosphorus Strait. As mentioned above, this city is very important for Turkey because of its unique location. This city has access to the sea from the north and south, so the shipping industry is thriving, and tourists can travel to the city by ship.

Map of Istanbul | Why is Istanbul so important?

The population of Istanbul

Istanbul is one of the most populous cities in Turkey, and according to the latest statistics, the population of Istanbul is about 16 million people in 2023.

The population in the European part of Istanbul is more than the Asian part. The most populated parts of Istanbul are the southwestern, western, and northwestern parts of Istanbul, as well as its European side. In the Asian regions of Istanbul, the most populated region is the Oskar region.

65% of Istanbul’s citizens live in the European part, and 35% live in the Asian part. One of the most important points about Istanbul is the 5-fold increase in its population in recent years.

Reasons to visit Istanbul | Why is Istanbul so important?

Istanbul is considered one of the most touristic cities in the world due to its many tourist places. In the following, we will examine some of the tourist places in Istanbul.

Hagia Sophia Mosque| Why is Istanbul so important?

Hagia Sophia Mosque is one of the most important tourist places in Istanbul. To know why is Hagia Sophia important, refer to the related article.

The Hagia Sophia Church in Istanbul underwent many renovations during Ottoman rule. During renovations, Its interior facades were changed from pictures of Jesus Christ and the Holy Mary to images of the name of Allah.

After Turkey became a republic, this mosque was officially closed and turned into a museum so tourists could see the history and civilization live. Still, now it has been turned into a mosque again.

Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the other religious places in this city, which is highly famous and right in front of Hagia Sophia. You may ask why this mosque is located in front of Hagia Sophia. In answer to this question, it should be mentioned that when Sultan Muhammad conquered Istanbul, seeing the Hagia Sophia and its unique architecture, he decided to build a mosque in the Ottoman style and show the Ottoman power to the world. For this reason, Following the Hagia Sophia mosque model, he ordered this mosque to be built.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, or the Blue Mosque, was built with Islamic and Ottoman architecture, similar to Hagia Sophia, and some tourists in Istanbul confuse these two mosques. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has more minarets than the Hagia Sophia, which is a sign of its difference from other mosques in Turkey.

Istanbul Airport Turkey | Why is Istanbul so important?

Turkey Istanbul Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world; many passengers travel to Turkey through this airport every year; that’s why this airport is one of Turkey’s important sources of income.

There are many shopping centers in this airport from which you can buy reasonably priced products. Also, refer to the related article if you intend to go to Istanbul airport shopping.

This airport has many facilities such as free internet, a hairdresser, a lounge, and a restaurant, making it famous worldwide. 

Shopping malls in Istanbul | Why is Istanbul so important?

If you want to know why Istanbul is important, the answer is that Istanbul has many shopping malls, such as Marmara Mall Istanbul, Emaar Mall Istanbul, and Istinye Park shopping center. If you are looking for luxury and expensive clothes, these shopping centers will suit you because you can visit all the famous brands in these shopping centers.

Some shopping malls in Istanbul are actually places of entertainment and tourism with museums inside. Of course, some of them have amusement parks and many food courts. The answer to the question of why Istanbul is the best city is that Istanbul has a large number of shopping centers, and everyone can shop in them.

Entertainment places in Istanbul

Many sights, such as Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace and all kinds of mosques and markets in Istanbul, have turned this city legendary. Istanbul Sea Life Aquarium is one of the sightseeing and entertainment places in Istanbul. This aquarium has a variety of fish that you can enjoy visiting.

Another Entertainment Places In Istanbul is Istanbul amusement parks. You can go to these amusement parks for fun and use their facilities. Istanbul water parks are very attractive; if you travel to Istanbul, we suggest you visit the AQUAMARINE and Dolphin Club water parks.

Things to do in Istanbul

Boating in the Bosphorus is one of the things you should do. Boating in the Istanbul Bosphorus is one of Istanbul’s most popular, unique, and exciting entertainments.

Touring with double-decker open-top tourist buses is one of the alternative and cheap ways to discover and visit different places in Istanbul; you certainly cannot visit all of them in one day and see them closely.

Facts about Istanbul | Why is Istanbul so important?

Istanbul is the only city in the world located on the two continents of Asia and Europe. Also, if you don’t know the answer to “Is Turkey in Europe or Asia?” refer to the related article. Although Istanbul was the capital of many old empires such as Rome, Byzantium, and Ottoman, it is not the current capital of Turkey. You can also read the article What is the Capital of Turkey to get to know the capital of Turkey.

At the end of the line | Why is Istanbul so important?

In this article, we told you the answer to the question of why Istanbul is so important. In this article, you learned why Istanbul is important and why Istanbul is the best city. If you have a question about Istanbul, share it with us in the comments section so we can answer you.

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