The reason why the bird turkey and the country Turkey (currently Türkiye) share the same name is rooted in historical confusion and trade routes. The story is an interesting mix of misidentification, global trade, and colonial exploration.
Hagia Sophia was completed in 537 AD, and it must have been a magnificent sight for the people of that era. Let’s try to imagine what a passenger aboard a ship approaching Constantinople might have experienced when seeing the Hagia…
In the mid-19th century, the Ottoman Empire was undergoing a period of transformative change known as the Tanzimat, or “Reorganization” era, which introduced sweeping efforts toward modernization and Westernization. Sultan Abdülmecid I, who reigned from 1839 to 1861, was a…
Thousands of websites, blogs, and social media posts cite the quote, “If the Earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital,” attributing it to Napoleon Bonaparte. Despite its widespread popularity, no historical evidence exists that Napoleon ever said…
In 330 AD, Roman emperor Constantine the Great made a monumental decision that would shape the course of history: he chose the ancient city of Byzantium as the new capital of the Roman Empire, later renaming it Constantinople. This choice…
You’ve come to Istanbul for a meeting, work appointment, or vacation, and you only have one free day. Where should you go, and what can you see in just one day in Istanbul? Last September, I hosted a guest from…
There’s something I’ve observed in people living in Istanbul (and many others have observed it too): once someone settles in this city, they either can’t leave or find it very difficult to leave and even if they do, after some…
A stunning photo from the 1950s showing Ortaköy and the Bosphorus: not only can you see these two locations, but you can also spot the Maiden’s Tower, the Historic Peninsula, Hagia Sophia, and Üsküdar in the picture. Another interesting feature…
Istanbul, historically known as Byzantium and later as Constantinople, served as the capital of two powerful empires: the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) and the Ottoman Empire. For over a millennium, it was a political, cultural, and economic center that…
Orhan Veli’s poem “I Am Listening to Istanbul” (Turkish: İstanbul’u Dinliyorum), written in 1947, is one of the most iconic works in Turkish literature, capturing the essence of Istanbul through vivid imagery and a serene, introspective tone. It is also…
A nostalgic photo of Istanbul, likely from the 1980s, shows the Ülev passenger ferry departing from the Karaköy pier. The image evokes a sense of the city’s rich maritime history, with the ferry gliding through the waters of the Bosphorus,…
In 1971, the majestic SS France ocean liner made a rare visit to Istanbul. This extraordinary event was captured in a unique photograph, showcasing the elegant liner against the backdrop of the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus and the iconic…