The Beauty of Turkey and Istambul
For those who are planning to visit Turkey and Istanbul in particular, there should be no doubts -it is a colorful place, a mixture of Asian and European culture, a place of markets and talented tradesmen attempted to sell you gold and other handmade products, and the city that has long been the capital of one of the biggest empires ever known -the Ottoman Empire.
Istanbul has its origins since the years BC but when renamed to Constantinople, it became the major center of the Byzantine Empire in the 5th century thus becoming one of the most remarkable and unique cities in the christian history. Years later, after the fall of the Byzantine empire, the Turks and the Arabs made the place the capital of their newly formed powerful empire thus establishing the Muslim presence in Europe and even nowadays Turkey remains the center of the European Muslims.
However, unlike the Asian Muslim countries, Turkey has accepted a democratic way of development, thus mixing its original Asian culture with the habits and the manners of Europe and thus becoming a modern country governed by the European laws. It might soon become the first Muslim country in the European Union.
Istanbul, even not the capital of Turkey, is the main business, production, religious, diverse and advanced city in the country. A tourist can enjoy the countless marketplaces (and Turkey is famous for its hospitality and tradesmen) and find anything he might possibly need at more than reasonable prices. Visitors can also admire the great architectural monuments and old buildings that have remained from the times of the Byzantine and the Ottoman Empires. This makes Istanbul a city of diverse religions, a city that should serve as an example for the Muslim world in a modern and advanced country as Turkey nowadays.
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