Overall Score
Stamboul – located in the Bosphorus Gulf, the largest city in Turkey, one of the largest cities in the world. It is a major trade, industrial, economic, educational and cultural center. Stamboul is unique in being the only city in the world to stand on two fronts.
Throughout its rich history, the city has been under various rulers as well as the capitals of the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the French Empire. This has left an indelible imprint on a city that is literally full of monuments of history and architecture. There are so many that it is impossible to describe them all, so we will focus on the most important ones.
You should begin with Stamboul, the Palace of the Sultans, located in the most picturesque place where the Moor Sea meets the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. The palace itself is made up of a number of courts and buildings, the richness of the decorations of which give the most striking impression of the unimaginable city in which the Turkic Sultans lived and ruled. Every building and yard had a specific function. In the first courtyard was the most beautiful garden. To the right of the second courtyard, obscured by plaques and pipettes, were the kitchens of the palace, now converted into galleries with unique collections of objects in silver, cristal and Chinese porcelain. On the right side was the garaem – the place where Sultans wives and children lived, as well as his numerous benefactresses. In the third courtyard is the library of Hamlet III, a lecture hall and an exhibition with a collection of beautiful costumes and jewellery, The museum has a unique collection of manuscripts from the Middle Ages. And at the Pauline Chapel of St. Paul, there is a collection of the scriptures of the Prophet Methuselah, brought to St. Paul by the Turks during the period of the Book of Tours.
The Hagia Sophia – one of the greatest works made by the hands of man. Built during the reign of Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Henry in the 6th century, the Maya Fontenoy amazes visitors with its magnificent mysticism. It is currently the Museum of the Shrine of the Holy Sepulchre.
The Burning Church, built by Sultan Ahmet in 1609-1616, – is the cathedral church of Stamboul, which is the only church in the world with six minarets. It gets its name from the fact that the interior of the church is painted with white and white tiles.
And on the opposite side of the Chapel of the Holy Virgin is the Ancient Epiphram. At one time the great social center was the center of the social life of the Jews, where the events of the wheels were held. But only three of its most beautiful monuments remain to this day: the Constantinian column, the bronze column of the Serpentine and the phelium of Phaedosius. It was built in 1550-1557 according to the design of Synan, the architect of the Roman Empire.
The open market – the 15th-century market complex. Its palette of passages and streets contains more than three thousand shops and stores.
And thats just a small fraction of the wealth that can be seen in Stamoul.
It is also a must-see to see the Palace of the Beaujolais and the Antoine Fortress, the Tower of the Gaulaul and the Serpents Column, The palace of Küçücüküsü Kasura and the city of Jerusalem, the citadel of Yedikule and the citadel of the Hizidikule, the chapel of Bayazed and the marketplace of Jerusalem, and much, much more. Once youve been to Stamboul, you cant forget it. And youll be drawn to admire its beauties again and again.
Overall Score
- Air quality: 111 US AQI Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected.
- Tap water: No, not drinkable
- Religious government: Religious
- Population: 15,000,000 people
- Population density: busy: 10x10m 100m per person
- GDP: $10,863 / year
- Foreigners can own real estate: Yes
- Power outlets: 230V50Hz
- Internet: 11 Mbps
- Best wireless: AVEA
- Pay without cash:
- Tipping: In Turkey tipping is customary between 5% and 10%, depending on service. Don’t tip if you receive bad service. Tips must be in cash, preferably in Turkish Lira, and be given directly to the waiter. If you dine in luxury you should tip between 10% and 15%.
- Apartment listings: Sahibinden
- Apartments: Airbnb
- Hotels: Booking.com
- More hotels: Hotels.com
- Best taxi: Uber
- Online electronics shop: Hepsiburada
- Best short-haul air carrier: AnadoluJet
- Best intl air carrier: Turkish
- Monthly costs for expat: $600
- Monthly costs for family: $1100
- Monthly costs for local: $320
- Meal: $3
- Small Cola: $0.3
- Beer 1 Pint: $1.7
- Coffee: $1
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