Essentials: Istanbul

1) Populous: Istanbul is growing, and rapidly. In 1975, a mere 2.7 million people lived in the metropolis; today there are between 15 and 17 million. But no one knows for sure.  

2) Pragmatic solution: The Blue Mosque is one of the most important sights in Istanbul, with its blue and white tiles and its six minarets visible from afar. When the place of worship was completed, everyone was delighted. Almost everyone. There was criticism that six minarets was disrespectful to Mecca – because the Great Mosque there had just as many. The solution: The mosque in the Holy City was given a seventh minaret. 

3) Comfort to die for: The world-famous crime writer Agatha Christie not only found the inspiration for her bestseller “Murder on the Orient Express” in Istanbul in the 1930s, but also wrote the crime classic in the city. Specifically, in the Pera Palas Hotel, which was built by the operators of the luxurious Orient Express. 

4) Flower power: While the tulip sprouts in fields in Holland, it was originally cultivated in Istanbul. These flowers were so popular in the 18th century that the so-called Tulip Era began, during which it was a crime to trade tulips outside Istanbul until around 1730.  

5) Not clean, but pure: A visit to a traditional bathhouse is a highlight of any visit to Istanbul. What many people don’t know is that hammams also served ritual purposes. Before important religious events or weddings, a visit to a bathhouse for cleansing was a tradition. This also had a symbolic significance.