1. Istanbul is the only city in the world that straddles two continents: Asia and Europe.

2. Istanbul, while being the ancient capital of many empires, from Rome to the Ottoman era, it is not the modern capital of Turkey as Ankara is.

3. Istanbul, which used to be known as Constantinople thanks to the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, is built on seven hills to match the seven hills of Rome.

4. Under the Ottoman Empire, the city was renowned for having more than 1,400 public toilets

5. While not the capital, Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city with more than 13 million people – 99 per cent of which are Muslim.

Plan Turkey Vacation