Istanbul is the largest city of Turkey with a population of approximately 13 million people which makes it also one of the largest cities in Europe. The city borders reach both Asia and Europe and that makes it arguably the only city that is located on two continents. Istanbul used to be the capital to Byzantine Empire until it was conquered by Ottomans in 1453. The date is accepted in modern history to be the end of Middle Ages. The modern day Istanbul is very different than what is used to be and witnessed so many changes and challenges since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire during the beginning of 20th Century. Because of its convenient location, Istanbul throughout centuries has never lost its important status as a port of commerce and a cultural center. As Turkey's economy has recently started to emerge again in the last years, the city has again started showing progress in going back to its glamorous days. Istanbul is one of the 9 candidates for the upcoming 2012 Summer Olympics and it also hosts many different international conferences and exhibitions throughout the year.

Istanbul has a well-established transportation network with bus routes reaching almost everywherein the city, trains from both Asia and Europe making it into downtown, various sizes of boats and ferries cruising along the coast of Bosphorus, a clean, new and fast subway although it only serves a route with few stations. Yellow cabs are easy to haul almost everywhere in the city and they are a lot cheaper than it would cost at a western country. Taxis all charge using a meter and it doesn't cost much to ride cabs around the city unless the distance is really long. But, some taxi drivers are known to turn the ride into a thrill or a race which is not really fun unless you are late for your flight. Tipping is not needed at the cabs but you can round up the fee to the next Turkish Lira. You are not supposed to leave any extra cash after that. The speed of traffic, however, tends to slow down a lot or almost stop at many intersections during the rush hours. The city center, however, has a lot to offer so this may be the ideal time of the day to take a walk around and discover the city.

On most of the popular routes, it is possible to hop into a shared cab which is called ?Dolmus?. They are slightly larger than regular taxis and they look like vans that can accommodate a total of 8 people including the driver. These vehicles are also yellow in color. The sign on the top of these autos reads ?Dolmus? instead of ?Taksi?. While some models may accommodate less people, most of them have a seating capacity of up to eight people and they all charge a flat fee along the route depending on the distance. You can take the city boat or the ferry to ply over the Bosporus strait going all directions from Asia to Europe or the other way around. One of the best ways to explore Istanbul is to do so on Bosporus. That is really a sight while you will have the advantage of paying nothing more than a regular transportation charge. For a short trip from the European side, just jump on a ferry to Uskudar and you can be back in an hour or quicker.

If you have plans of using the public transportation network, you are advised to purchase ?akbil? which is a pre-paid electronic chip embedded on a plastic similar to a key fob. Akbil allows users to save up to 20% of the total transportation costs during your trips.

You can use the pre-paid credit on ?Akbil? and you will have access to city's entire public transportation network with just a tap on the turnstiles. At all times, there is a direct bus service between the two airports of Istanbul and the Taksim Square. Taksim is considered the center of the transportation network, with buses, subways and dolmus' coming in from numerous destinations all around the city. Taksim central bus stop and the central subway station is only a couple of minutes from the infamous Taksim Square.

Important historic sites to visit in the Istanbul include the Hagia Sophia, Leanders Tower, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque and Yerebatan Cistern. Most of these historic sites are located in the old part of the city and long term parking garages are available in this part of the city for those interested in parking their car for medium to longer periods.