Things you didnt know about Istanbul
A magical city for which there will always be things to learn! Istanbul, reveals one by one its secrets…
Learn some of the things you didnt know about Istanbul:
1. Istanbul s the only city in the world which extends in two continents! Europe and Asia!
2. The Emperor of Constantinople, Constantine the Great, built the city on seven hills to match the seven hills of Rome
3. 1.400 were the public toilets in the city during the Ottoman Empire! In the rest of Europe… were none!
4. The biggest covered market in the world is located in Istanbul. Grand Bazaar, hosts over 4.000 shops!
5. The famous novel “Murder on the Orient Express” was written in the Pera Palace Hotel in Istanbul, by Agatha Chirstie
6. Istanbul was the most populated city in the world, in the year of 1502
7. The second oldest subway in the world, is located in Beyoglu area, covers 573 meters and was built in 18758
8. Istanbul has never hosted Olympic games even though it was the European Cultural Capital in 2010
9. With a population of over 17 million inhabitants, Istanbul is the third biggest city in the world
10. In Istanbul there are 3,113 mosques
11. Through out the years, Istanbul has been the capital of three Empires: the Roman, the Byzantine and the Ottoman
12. Hagia Sophia was the biggest Christian Church for hundred of years, attracting over 3,500,000 tourists every year
13. The Turkish post office didn’t deliver mails addressed to ‘Constantinople’, to ensure that people will stop using this name and start using Istanbul
14. There are 237 hamams in Istanbul, but only 60 of them are still in use
15. One of the top contemporary art shows in the worldis the Istanbul Biennial
16. The four bronze horses that decorated the San Marco Cathedral in Venice were taken from Istanbul (at that time Constantinople), by the crusaders in the 13th century
17. In 1954 was the last time that Bosphorus was freezed! People could cross over the Asian side, walking on the ice
18. “The world is not enough”, the famous James Bond film, features scenes from the Maiden’s Tower
19. In 2014, Istanbul broke the Guiness world record, for the most people per square meter. Metrobus was the winner!
20. Blue Mosque is the only Mosque in Istanbul with six minarets
21. The capital of Turkey is Ankara and not Istanbul! This was proclaimed by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923
22. The city hosts 333 cemeteries
23. Istanbul was the world’s top travel destination in 2014
24. The first traffic accident in Istanbul, occured in Sisli area. In 1912, a driver of the Italian Embassy hit a pedestrian and tried to run away from the scene
25. Istanbul is inhabited for more than 2,500 years
26. Over the years, Istanbul was attacked more than 60 times
27. About 36% of exports and 40% of imports in Turkey, pass through Istanbul
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