Ten Historic Places Worth Visiting In Europe
1. Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul is a city in Turkey that straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait. The Old City reflects cultural influences of the many empires that once ruled here. In the Sultanahmet district, the open-air, Roman-era Hippodrome was for centuries the site of chariot races, and Egyptian obelisks remain. The iconic Byzantine Hagia Sophia features a soaring dome and Christian mosaics.
The area was settled by Thracians in the late 6th millennium BC, and named Ligos around 3 millennia ago. The city saw the presence of Phoenicia, Ancient Greece, Ancient Persia and Ancient Rome; it was then called Byzantium for nearly a millennium. Following its renaming to Constantinople in 330 AD, the city served as an imperial capital for the Eastern Roman (476–1204 and 1261–1453), the Latin (1204–1261), and the Ottoman (1453–1922) empires, when it became the largest city in the world. It was instrumental in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times, before the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 and transformed it into an Islamic stronghold and the seat of the Ottoman Caliphate.
Approximately 12 million foreign visitors arrive in Istanbul annually, making it the world’s fifth most popular tourist destination. In 2010 the city was named a European Capital of Culture. The city’s biggest attraction is its historic center, partially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its cultural and entertainment hub can be found across the city’s natural harbor, the Golden Horn, in the Beyoğlu district. Considered a global city, Istanbul is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan economies in the world.
