Istanbul’s Basilica Cistern, Yerebatan, A Mystery of the East
Being the largest of Istanbul, the Basilica Cistern, (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) is Istanbul’s most extraordinary tourist attractions in the Sultanahmet district.

Experience Istanbul: Unique and Alternative Things to Do in the City
. When we travel abroad, we want to be a part of the local daily life and start searching for things to do... In this post, we will inspire you with your Istanbul itinerary.

Istanbul Modern Café Offers Artfully Crafted Cuisine
Istanbul Modern, the city's first modern art museum, sits over the deep-blue waters of the mythical Bosphorus and hosts many of the country's premier art exhibitions and events.
The Captivating Style Of Istanbul
"In Istanbul, remains of a glorious past civilization are everywhere visible. ... The great mosques and other monuments of the city, as well as the lesser detritus of empire in every side street and corner -- the little arches, fountains and neighborhood mosques -- inflict heartache on all who live among them."

December 31, 2011
Happy New Year Everyone! :)
Bulgaria Campaigns to Restore Istanbul Iron Church
Turkey Gov Aims to Make Istanbul a Major Hub for the United Nations
December 28, 2011
Turkish Soaps Drive Macedonians To Istanbul
In 2011 Istanbul remained one of the top holiday destinations for Macedonians, many of whom are eager to see the city where their favourite Turkish soap operas come to life.
Read more on Eurasia Review: Turkish Soaps Drive Macedonians To Istanbul
Tanker Traffic Halted in Istanbul Due to Heavy Fog
The Istanbul channel was closed in both directions at 7:21 a.m. (0521 GMT), GAC said in an e-mailed statement. It was not clear when the strait will re-open, but a GAC official told Reuters that they expected the fog to clear in the afternoon.
Six tankers were scheduled to transit the Bosphorus on Wednesday, the agent said, and only one of them passed early on Wednesday before the traffic was closed.
Read more on Reuters: Tanker Traffic Halted in Istanbul Due to Heavy Fog
Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four 2012 Istanbul Logo Unveiled
Turkey Becoming Major Hub for Contemporary Art
Yet, as it has been the case for decades, 2011 was again a year in which almost all major cultural events took place in Istanbul, Turkey’s cultural capital, save for several international festivals in Antalya, Ankara and İzmir.
The most significant of the art events Turkey offered to the international art community in the past year was arguably the 12th Istanbul Biennial, a two-month exhibition that generated hype not only among Turkish art connoisseurs and the local art community, but also in international media, with leading press publications, including The New York Times and The Economist, publishing detailed reviews of the event.
From mid-September to mid-November, “Untitled (12th Istanbul Biennial), 2011” presented more than 500 works of art in five group exhibitions and more than 50 solo presentations in an assorted selection co-curated by Adriano Pedrosa and Jens Hoffmann under several themes inspired by the works of late Cuban-American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres.
While Britain’s The Independent billed the event as “the art calendar’s most enticing event -- even above Venice,” The Guardian, another leading British daily, declared that Istanbul was “now up there with Venice and São Paulo as the art biennials that matter,” adding that the biennial was the most telling sign of “the rise of Istanbul as a cultural power.”
Read more on Zaman: Turkey Becoming Major Hub for Contemporary Art
Istanbul Mayor Pushes Animal Rights to Forefront of Agenda
December 25, 2011
Istanbul to Host Master of Surrealism
European Communication Conference to Be Held in Istanbul Next Year
Liam Neeson in Istanbul, Marking His Territory
Christians in Turkey Long for Christmas Spirit
‘Occupy Emek’: Cinephiles, Film Professionals Speak up for Historic Emek Theater
‘Istanbul’s Colorful Treasures’ as Old as History Itself
December 19, 2011
House Hunting in ... Turkey
Istanbul to Host Flamenco Star Estrella Morente's Turkish Debut
Megacity with Ambitions to Match
Istanbul Receives 16% More Tourists in First 11 Months
The number of tourists visiting Istanbul from January through November of 2011 has increased by 16 percent compared to the same period one year ago, according to official figures.
Istanbul Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate figures for 2011 reveal that Istanbul attracted 7,509,000 foreigner tourists from January through November. This number was 6,489,000 in the first 11 months of 2010.
In the first 11 months of 2011, 6,959,291 tourists arrived in Istanbul via the city's Atatürk and Sabiha Gökçen airports, while 550,046 tourists arrived via the ports of Haydarpaşa, Pendik and Karaköy.
The port used most by tourists is Karaköy, which received 460,855 tourists in the first 11 months.
Istanbul received the highest number of tourists in July -- 916,486, whereas January saw the least number of tourist -- 378,380.
Germans made up the largest number of foreign tourists visiting the city, with 12.3 percent of the total number of tourists. Russia and the US ranked second and third, with respectively 6.1 and 5.6 percent of the total. Italian, French, English and Iranian nations followed on the list, respectively.
The number of Arab tourists visiting İstanbul rose by 28.5 compared to 2010. The Arab tourists accounted for 11.1 percent of the tourists coming to İstanbul.
Saudi Arabia is the country from which citizens coming to Turkey increased the most with an increase of 71.3 percent of the total. Iraq followed Saudi Arabia with 64.7 percent, and Kuwait followed Iraq at 40 percent.
Arab interest in Turkish culture -- from TV soap operas, pop music and food to Turkey's rehabilitation of its Ottoman history -- has helped bring in an influx of Arab tourists to Turkey in recent years.
Read more on Zaman: Istanbul Receives 16 Percent More Tourists in First 11 Months