Istanbul is the only city in the world built on two continents. Its fate has been determined by its vital strategic location and enchanted natural beauty. It has long been coveted by powerful empires, and served as capital first to Byzantium and then to the Ottoman Empire. Istanbul stretches along the two shores of the Bosphorus that links the Sea of Marmara in the South with the Black Sea in the North. It is Turkey's largest city with a population of approximately 12 million. Istanbul is also at the heart of the economy of Turkey. The largest companies and banks, the main national newspapers, television networks and advertising agencies all have their headquarters in the city.

Istanbul is also the capital of art and culture with a rich tradition in opera and ballet, theater performing Turkish and foreign plays, concerts, art exhibition, festivals, auctions, conferences and of course unique museums. The city also boasts the country's largest and finest universities. As an imperial capital for 1500 years, Istanbul has acquired a highly original personality. At every turn in the city you are faced with Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman palaces, mosques, churches, monasteries, monuments, walls and ruins. Yet Istanbul is not a city living only in its past. It is a vibrant, modern and future-oriented metropolis. Bazaars and ultra-modern supermarkets and department stores, street vendors and stock-brokers, old crumbling buildings and skyscrapers, horse-drawn carts and sumptuous limousines coexist and this amalgam gives the city a multifaceted outlook and flavor. Istanbul is like an intricately woven carpet, a subtle blend of eastern and western cultures.

Istanbul is an ever-changing city that adapts itself to new times. Building on its assets inherited from a glorious past, it is rapidly becoming an international city, a financial and economic center offering services in banking, telecommunications, marketing, engineering, advertising and tourism. International conferences and festivals, fairs, fashion shows, sports and art performances give a new dimension to the life and potential of the city. The skyscrapers rising in the northwest are the new skyline of Istanbul. As small manufacturing enterprises move out of the city, they are replaced by commercial and service companies. The Istanbul Stock Exchange is beginning to take its place among the world's major bourses. The growth in business, tourism, commerce and service industries has led to a rapid increase in the number and quality of hotels in Istanbul. Two suspension bridges link the two sides of the city and highways encircle all of Istanbul. Although the bridges and highways have gone part way to resolve the problems caused by ever increasing automobile traffic, the problem of circulation is far from satisfactory. The configuration of the city, the narrow streets and the intensive and poorly planned construction activity in recent decades do not allow the opening of new arteries. The subway project, which will offer a limited remedy to the present situation, is being rapidly implemented.

In a city encompassing 5 220 square kilometers, and with a population of 12 million, life is obviously constantly animated and hectic. With millions of people immigrating from all corners of Anatolia over the past 30 years, Istanbul has become a microcosm of Turkey. All of the various traditions, cultures, cuisines and folklore of Anatolia can be found here. The streets are always crowded, and the buses, trains and boats shuttling between the two shores of the Bosphorus ant the Sea of Marmara are constantly full to capacity. Nevertheless, the residents of Istanbul love their city, a city which has so much to offer. As soon as spring arrives, the sidewalk cafes, open air restaurants and fish places along the sea come to life. An unforgettable experience is contemplating the sun setting majestically in an explosion of color against the background of the Istanbul skyline and the silhouettes of monumental masques. Istanbul has a very active night life. The bars, pubs, night clubs and discotheques are plentiful and there are countless restaurants offering Turkish cuisine with all its local varieties, not to mention Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese and Lebanese restaurants. But the specialty are the "meyhanes", literally meaning wine houses, where the main drink served is not so much the wine, but the "raki", an alcoholic beverage made of grapes and anise. The tradition of the "meyhanes" goes back to Byzantium, and they still flourish today. One of the greatest pleasures of Istanbul is to go to these places, to drink, to eat the various hors d'oeuvres and to listen to the strolling musicians. Istanbul is a fascinating, mysterious, captivating, sometimes exasperating but always stimulating city.

NIGHT LIFE ( The review below was taken from worldsbestbars.com )

While New York, London, Paris and Milan may shout chic, Istanbul's exotic skyline is the stuff of dreams. It has always been the gateway to the Orient and, thanks to the Bosphorous, has a natural split between Western and Eastern influence.

RokyThe heart of modern Istanbul is Taksim Square and the area of Beyoglu. It's home to a lot of restaurants, theatres, shops and of course that authentic Turkish experience, the traditional tavernas (‘meyhanes'.) The best of these are in the bustling Cicek Pasaj and if you tuck into the local spirit ‘Raki', you'll soon be joining in Turkish songs with no idea of what you're singing!

Kumkapi also, with its many taverns, bars, sidewalk restaurants and strolling minstrels, always offers a good meal and a superb show.

There are some very swanky night clubs to visit that rival London's best, especially in Ortakoy. In summer there are great nights to be had along the Bosphorous with views you can't imagine.