ISTANBUL, it is a meeting point of civilizations and continents
The distance between West Istanbul Marina and the tourist attractions around:

Hagia Sophia Museum, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Basilica Cistern, Topkapi Palace – 40 km

Golden Horn, Fener, Balat – 36 km

Chora Museum – 33 km

Taksim Square, Istiklal Street – 43 km

Dolmabahce Palace – 45 km
 

Founding

Istanbul’s story is beautiful even from the start: Setting journey from Megara, Greece, Byzas has desire to found a new city. He goes and consults the oracle of Delphi on choosing a site. The oracle tells him to construct his city across from the “Land of the Blind”. Byzas set off with confusion and while gazing from today’s Sarayburnu to the past’s Khalkedon (Kadıköy), he thought to himself “Why have these blind built cities in the desert while this place is so beautiful?” . Then, of course, the words of the oracle of Delphi come to his mind. He has found where he will construct Istanbul.

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Istanbul’s name

Istanbul was not named by the Ottomans, as it is usually thought. The name dates back to an even older source; it is a name of a person in the book Fütuh’üş-Şam of the 9th century. The Greek King Timaeus’ son Istanbul works to construct the city for four years during his reign. But the city is completed by Constantine, who takes his place. It is mentioned as Istinbolin in the 10th century book Tenbih (Mesudi). There is also a great deal of other data about Istanbul’s name; some which contradict others. Istanbul has been referred to with dozens of other names such as Byzantion, Constantinople, Konstantiniyye, Asitane, Darülhilafe and Dersaadet.

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Ancient ages and the Byzantine Period

Istanbul’s history dates back around three hundred thousand years. It is thought that people used to live around the Küçükçekmece Lake during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic eras. Tools dating back to the Lower Palaeolithic Era were excavated in Dudullu, while some dating back to the Middle Palaeolithic Era and the Upper Palaeolithic Era were discovered around Ağaçlı. Ruins dating back to the Neolithic Period (6500 BC) were discovered during the excavations of the Marmaray immersed tube tunnel, some dating back to the Bronze Age (5500-3500 BC) were discovered in Fikirtepe while some ruins were discovered in Kadıköy  dating back to the Phoenicians.
 

Byzantion is founded in 667 BC during King Byzas’s reign. The city was named after the son Septimius Severus, Augusta Antonina, for a short time during the reign of the Roman Empire in the city. The city is declared the capital city of the Roman Empire during the reign of Constantine I.  It is called Nova Roma for a while afterwards but is changed to Constantinople after the death of Constantine I in 337.
 

The legendary conquer happened on 29 May 1453. This date is also the end of the Middle Age. Istanbul rapidly develops during the Ottoman period. After the construction of hundreds of palaces, markets, mosques, schools and Turkish baths, Istanbul becomes one of the world’s largest cities where Jewish, Christians and Muslims live in harmony for 50 years.

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