The city of Istanbul is, at its barest minimum, a meeting ground. It is where east meets west, old meets new, and foreign meets native. Nowhere else in the world will you find Ottoman Mosques overshadowing hip bars, sheek shopping centers and exciting museums, and no where else will you find a culture so unique, and yet so dynamic as the Turkish culture.

The constant movement and energy that has existed for centuries still resonates in Turkey’s meyhene (taverns), in its numerous city squares, and in its streets.  The history of Turkey, from the Silk Road, to the Ottoman Empire, to the rise of a modern life in the 21st century, is preserved in Istanbul’s buildings and in its people.  Presently, Istanbul is a hub of fashion, night life, and mega-style shopping, yet it has not forgotten its old city charm and rich history.  Istanbul is so incredibly rich in its complexity, and layered in its culture, that you will have to visit to understand the appeal of this everlasting city.