The largest city in Turkey covers an area of 5,712 square kilometres. The winters are warm and wet and the summers in contrast are dry and hot.

The city has a population of 9,500,000 spread across the various parts located either side of the Golden Horn, and either side of the Bosphorus. It is truly an intercontinental city with parts in Europe and Asia. It is where west meets east!

The city was colonised by the Greeks during the Hellenistic invasion in 750-550 BC. There are a few traces of earlier settlements going as far back as the 7th century BC. The city was involved in the wars with the Persians, Spartans, the Greeks under Alexander the Great, before coming under the rule of the Roman Empire. There is much that remains of the Roman occupation and especially from the later years of the Roman Empire when it became the capital of the Empire. Constantine planned to rebuild the city and formally declared it the Second Capital of the Empire. Work started in 330 AD. During this period a number of churches were constructed (later they were converted into mosques).

The city was captured by the Crusaders who caused considerable damage and areas of the city were destroyed by fire. During this period from Constantine to the Crusaders there were 485 churches and 325 monasteries and convents built in the city and its surrounding countryside.

It was conquered by Mehmet II in 1453 AD when it became a Turkish city. The largest of the churches, the Hagia Sophia was converted in become the major mosque. The city became its most beautiful during the reign of Suleyman I. The Ottoman Empire ruled until the end of World War I when Istanbul came under the jurisdiction of France and Britain until the Turkish Republic was formed in 1923 AD when the new capital was created in Ankara.