Here are some interesting facts about this great city!
The European part is home to the historical center, many parks, and attractions, while the Asian one is mostly residential neighborhoods.
These include the historical Süleymaniye Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the famous Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultanahmet Mosque.
At 307,000 m2 and with over 90 million annual visitors, it is considered one of the most popular attractions in the world, and some consider it one of the world’s first shopping malls.
Istanbul has formerly been called Lygos, Byzantium, Augusta Antonina, New Rome, and Constantinople.
This was way before even the kings and emperors of Europe had regular access to one. A city ahead of its time!
It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around A.D. 280 in Patara, near Myra in modern-day Turkiye. Much admired for his piety and kindness, St. Nicholas became the subject of many legends. It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick.
The “Nazar boncuğu”, or “evil eye”, is a stone made from molten glass, iron and copper. A 3000-year old tradition, it is worn to protect the wearer from evil forces. The belief is that the blue colour of the stone has the power to shield from negative energy.
Turquoise means ‘Turkish stone’. The beautiful mineral came to Europe from the Orient via Turkiye and is one of the oldest gemstones in history. They were first used as amulets by Turkish soldiers.