The difference between the Asian and European parts of Istanbul
Today, the location of two Asian and European parts of Istanbul, the Bosphorus strait alone is considered one of the attractions of Turkey. The city of Istanbul is divided into two parts by a water channel from the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The eastern part is called the Asian part and the western part is called the European part. This big city has many travelers today.
If you travel to Istanbul, it depends on which part of it you stay. Because both parts are different in terms of historical context, ancient works, cafes and restaurants. In this article, Manolya Tours introduce the tour of the Asian and European parts of Istanbul to you, the traveling audience, so that if you plan to travel to this Turkey, you can easily plan your trip.
History of Istanbul
Istanbul is one of the oldest cities in the world and has been known as a city since around 660 BC. It may be interesting to you that this city was once ruled by Eastern Byzantium and Rome and the name of the city was Constantine. There have been important churches in this city. One of the churches in the city that later became a mosque is Hagia Sophia.
With the arrival of the Arabs and the conquest of the city, not only the function of the buildings changed, but the name of the city was also changed from Constantine to Constantinople, and after a period it was called Istanbul, and this city is still called Istanbul. If you join our Istanbul Private Tour Guide or Istanbul Old City Tour, you can discover Istanbul history with us.
The name of the city of Istanbul is derived from the Greek word “Istim Bolin”. “Estim Bolin” means city. But in the 18th century and the Ottoman Muslim government, one of the rulers put the name of the city on the Ottoman coins as “Istanbul the City of Islam” and everyone mistakenly considered the meaning of the city to be the city of Islam.
What makes this city important in terms of strategy and tourism is not only its ups and downs history. Rather, it is located between two important continents of the world. The Asian and European parts of Istanbul are separated by the Bosphorus Strait.
This strait is a water channel that passes through the city and connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Then it connects to the Mediterranean and from there it connects to open waters. Undoubtedly, it has had maritime trade for a long time, and the city is full of ships and harbors, and today, walking on its beaches is one of the leisure activities of travelers. By visiting Istanbul, you can see the history of the Middle East and Eastern Rome.
The language of the city of Istanbul and its religion
In both Asian and European parts of Istanbul, everyone speaks Turkish. During the Islamic regime, they used the Arabic script, and since 1928 and the formation of the independent country of Turkey after World War I, all government departments and schools have used the Latin script instead of the Arabic script.
Therefore, it is very easy to explore Istanbul and read the street signs. Most of the people of the city are Muslims, and there are also a small percentage of Christians and Jews. This city is one of the cities that has a population of Kurds with the Shafi and Sunni religion.
Asian and European population section of Istanbul
Both the Asian and European parts of Istanbul are significantly different. The Asian part has a smaller population than the European part and has secluded neighborhoods. Nearly ten million people live in the European part and it consists of parts that have been very lively. Not only the streets of the European part have a high population, but the alleys and back alleys are also crowded. Its Asian part has about 5 million people and its most crowded city is Umraniye.
If you like secluded areas and intend to migrate, you can choose the eastern part of Istanbul or the Asian part. In the European part, there is heavy traffic in the streets of Istanbul between 7-9 am and 17-20:00.
Differences in the investment sector of Asia and Europe in Istanbul
We must tell you that most of the ancient places are located in the European part, and due to its high population, it has also attracted the attention of investors, for example, most of its streets are paved and most of the cafes and restaurants, hotels, entertainment centers. It is located in the European part of Istanbul. In the Asian part, there are less ancient areas and attractions and it is more secluded.
But next to the coast of the Bosphorus Strait, it is always crowded and there are many people going around. The two Asian and European parts of Istanbul are different in every way, and if you travel in this city, you will feel this difference completely with a simple tour. If you join our Private Yacht Tour or Bosphorus Boat Tour, you see whole bosphorus with us and our Istanbul private tour guide can explain you about these historical places.
Asian and European nightlife in Istanbul
The Asian and European parts of Istanbul are significantly different in terms of nightlife. Istanbul is a city that is alive at night and until midnight people come out of the house to have fun. Nightlife and the existence of clubs and shops are important priorities for tourists.
In the European part, there are centers such as Besiktas, Ortakoy, Beyoglu, Nisantasi . It is located and easily used by citizens and travelers. But in the Asian part, entertainment centers are located only in Kadikoy and Uskudar. In general, the number of night entertainment centers in the Asian part of Istanbul is less than the European part. For this reason, in most travel tours, the European part is chosen for travelers.
Space in both Asian and European parts of Istanbul
In the European part, due to the high altitude, there are various tourist places in every part. As there are more cafes and restaurants, many hotels have been built and sometimes indiscriminate constructions have happened to accommodate the population of the city, therefore the European part of Istanbul has less green space.
Instead, the Asian part of Istanbul consists of parks, green spaces and more pristine areas, and if you are going to see nature, we must tell you to choose the Asian part of Istanbul. It is one of the attractions of the Asian part of Istanbul, like seeing Aydos Tepesi hills.
Of course, until about a hundred years ago, both the Asian and European parts of Istanbul had green spaces, but in the last century, these dramatic changes have been observed. You take our Istanbul Private Tour Guide to discover Asian side of Istanbul.
The difference between Asian and European parts in terms of urban services
The Asian section has one stadium, but the European section has more stadiums. Istanbul hotels are mostly in the European part. The longest metro line in the Middle East is in the Asian part of Istanbul. Most television and press channels are located in the European part of Istanbul. But there are military schools in the eastern and Asian parts of Istanbul. In the Asian part, there is a large cemetery, which is considered the largest cemetery in Türkiye.
A number of European universities are located in the European part of Istanbul, and remember that the European part historically has more works than the Asian part. The European part of Istanbul has the most shopping centers due to its tourist attractions. The coastline in the Asian part is regular and more beautiful than the European part, and finally, the Asian and European parts of Istanbul are quite different.
The difference between historical monuments in the Asian and European parts of Istanbul
In the European part, there are the most historical monuments and works such as Hagia Sophia Mosque, one of the most important historical monuments in the world with UNESCO registration, Topkapi Palace, Galata Tower, which are considered the most important historical monuments in Turkey. There is no entrance to see the Bosphorus bridge from the European part, but if you want to see it from the Asian part, you have to pay a fee when you pass by car for 1 way.
There are also historical monuments in the Asian part, but they are not registered in the UNESCO world list. Uskudar is the Asian part. It is good to take the time to see both the Asian and European parts of Istanbul and see the differences up close. You can join our Istanbul Tours to discover two contients of Istanbul.
Similarities between the Asian and European parts of Istanbul
The two Asian and European parts of Istanbul have similarities despite their differences. Both Asian and European parts have airports. They are active in both metro lines. Two parts of the city are connected by a bridge which is called Bosphorus. Both parts have their own marina.
They have famous streets, which is the famous street of the European part of Istiklal, and Bagdat Street between Kadikoy and Bostanci are the most luxurious street of the Asian part. The most interesting thing is that Marmara University is the only university that exists on two continents and this university itself is one of the attractions of Istanbul today.
If you are planning to travel to the historical and touristic city of Istanbul, you can easily book a flight or hotel using the Manolya Tour website. If you have ever traveled to Istanbul yourself, you write about your experience from the Asian and European parts of Istanbul .As Manolya Tour, we will write in our blog and share with our clients.
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