Thanks to its strategic location on a major international shipping route and on historic overland trade routes — including the famed Silk Road — Istanbul has long been at the center of multiple cultures.

When Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity, he established the capital of the Byzantine Empire (an offshoot of Rome) here in 330CE. The city was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1453 and has been predominantly Muslim ever since. These influences, along with goods and travelers from ancient Greece, Rome and Asia are seen throughout the city's UNESCO-listed historic center.

Take a peek at what you could experience in Istanbul.

Istanbul. Love of the continents.

Striking images of the city, a bridge between East and West.

Great Art Cities | Istanbul

As the historic capital of three great empires—Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman—and as the only city in the world that straddles two continents—Europe and Asia—the art in this Turkish city reflects its position as an ancient and modern crossroads.

From Hagia Sophia to Suleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul

In Ottoman Istanbul the great engineer-architect Mimar Sinan builds the light-flooded Suleymaniye mosque to surpass the greatest Christian structure of all time, Hagia Sophia.

Sinan's Süleymaniye Mosque

Art historians Elizabeth Macaulay-Lewis and Steven Zucker offer an excellent introduction to the architect Sinan's most impressive mosque, a standout on Istanbul's distinctive skyline.

Süleyman the Magnificent: Longest-reigning Ottoman Sultan

In Istanbul, he remains a central figure: Süleyman the Magnificent (1494-1566), the sultan who reigned for 46 years, expanding the empire and sponsoring many of the city's greatest structures, designed a built by his architect-par-excellence, Sinan. In this BBC The Forum podcast, experts weigh in on his enduring legacy.

Street Food in Turkey

In this episode of The Food Ranger, visit five restaurants in Istanbul to learn how the chefs prepare their versions of iconic Turkish dishes including doner kebab and midye dolma (stuffed mussels).

Read Before You Go

The Bastard of Istanbul

Written by one of the country's foremost authors, this novel shines light on the violent Turkish-Armenian conflict by exploring two families who struggle to forge a friendship despite what has occurred. By Elif Shafak.

Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities

The city with three names—Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul—serves as a gateway between the East and West. For much of its history it was known simply as The City, but, as historian Bettany Hughes reveals, Istanbul is not just a city, but a story. Also available as an audiobook. By Bettany Hughes.

My Name is Red

In this fiendishly devious mystery crafted by Turkey's Nobel Prize winner, the 16th-century Ottoman sultan commissions a cadre of the most acclaimed artists in the land to create a great book celebrating the glories of his realm. However, one of the critical miniaturists disappears without a trace before the project is complete. Also available as an audiobook. By Orhan Pamuk.

Dazzling Istanbul

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