Turkey is a country partly in Europe and partly in Asia – with its colorful history shaped by the Hittites, the Ionians, Alexander the Great, Mongols and the Romans. It became the center of the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire and later a Republic under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

While Ankara is the capital of Turkey, Istanbul (or Constantinople) in the European part of the country is more populated and famous. The main attractions of the city are the Aya Sophia or Hagia Sophia Mosque with its massive dome and minars, the bejeweled
Topkapi Palace of the Ottoman Empire, the Blue Mosque with its delicate minaret’s and blue Iznik tiled interiors, the Hippodrome and the bustling colorful Spice Market. Centuries of history and the wealth and grandeur of the region comes alive in Istanbul’s many mosques, palaces and museums.

The city has access to the breathtaking water bodies of Gulf of Marmara and Caspian Sea, connected by the Bosphorus Strait. You can take a short cruise on the Bosphorus and see the Dolmabahce Palace, Rumeli Fortress and Bosphorus Bridge - one of the world's largest suspension bridges.

Today Istanbul is still a perfect meeting point for the east and the west. It offers every entertainment a tourist might seek – restaurants, theaters, night life, art galleries, museums, shopping arcades, et all.