Istanbul destination

Istanbul has long been one of the world’s most important bridges between Europe and Asia. As the capital of the Byzantine Empire and later the Ottoman Empire, it became a center of theology, diplomacy, trade, and artistic exchange.

The city preserved and transmitted much of classical Greek and Roman knowledge to Renaissance Europe, while also developing a unique synthesis of Islamic, Greek, Armenian, Balkan, and Anatolian cultures.

Today Istanbul is a global hub because:

• it serves as a strategic economic and transportation gateway between continents,

• it hosts major universities and international students,

• it has a massive cultural and creative economy,

• it is a leading destination for city tourism, conferences, and medical tourism.

Istanbul possesses the energy of a true global metropolis: chaotic yet creative, deeply historical yet intensely modern.