Is Istanbul a city that you are considering going to? If that is the case, you may have some questions about this city, such as: “where is Istanbul?”. In case you are wondering where Istanbul is located, make sure to check out this post, where we will discuss where Istanbul is…
For enjoying a nice vacation, you can choose to go to a variety of places in many countries. There are lots of amazing cities that can be worth visiting all around the world. With many of its amazing places to visit and awesome things that it can offer, Istanbul can surely be among those cities. So if you have been looking for a city to visit for an enjoyable travel experience, how about considering Istanbul for that?
Istanbul can have a lot to offer, and because of this you may be planning to visit this city. If you are thinking about going to this city, you may have some questions regarding Istanbul. You may be wondering about activity choices to do in this city, its places of interest and many other topics… Also, you may be asking some basic questions like: “where is Istanbul located?”.
On this post we will talk about the location of Istanbul, both in terms of which country it is located in, as well as its location within its country. If you are ready to read about this topic, let’s start discussing where Istanbul is!
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General Info
All around the world, there are numerous cities that are visited by lots of tourists each year. If you are making vacation plans, you may be trying to pick a nice city to visit. In this case, you may want to consider Istanbul, which can be an awesome place to go to.
About this city, one of the questions to ask can be: where is Istanbul? It is a popular city among tourists and you may be wondering where this amazing city is located.
The largest city in Europe in terms of population with over 15 million people living in it, Istanbul, is a city that is located in Turkey. While it is not the capital city of Turkey, arguably it is the most important and famous city in the country.
In Turkey, Istanbul is located in the Marmara Region, which is in the northwestern part of the country. As Istanbul has the Bosphorus separating its Asian and European sides, it is a city that is located between two continents. Other cities in Turkey that are close to Istanbul include places such as Bursa, Çanakkale, Tekirdağ and Edirne.
Where is Istanbul in the World? – Which Country Does Istanbul Belong to?
When it comes to the question: “where is Istanbul?”, one thing that you may be wondering about can be which country Istanbul is located in. As Istanbul is a very well-known city, numerous people may know about which country it is in. However, if you are not knowledgeable about this subject, you may not be aware that Istanbul is in Turkey.
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey in terms of population. Also, it is the financial center of Turkey, with lots of economic activity going on in Istanbul. Moreover, among the cities in Turkey, Istanbul is the one with the highest GDP.
In addition to being Turkey’s largest city when it comes to population and economy, Istanbul is also a culturally and historically important city. The city has a fairly long history and before it was a part of Turkey, it used to be the capital city of the Ottoman Empire. And even before that, it was the capital city of the Eastern Roman Empire. Today, there are lots of historical structures in Istanbul that can be worth visiting.
Although it is the largest city in Turkey, Istanbul is not the country’s capital. Regardless, Istanbul is a significant city in Turkey that is located in the northwestern part of the country.
Where is Istanbul Located in Turkey?
Now that we quickly went over which country Istanbul is located in, let’s talk about its location within its country. Istanbul is located in Turkey and arguably, it is the most important city in the country.
In Turkey, Istanbul is located in the Marmara Region, which is a region that is in the northwestern side of Turkey. Marmara Region is one of the seven geographical regions of Turkey and the other ones are: Black Sea Region, Aegean Region, Mediterranean Region, Central Anatolia Region, Eastern Anatolia Region and Southeastern Anatolia Region. While Marmara Region is the second smallest region in Turkey by land area, it is the most populous one.
Located in the Marmara Region, Istanbul has a coastline on the Sea of Marmara. In addition, Istanbul has a coastline on the Black Sea, as well. Concerning its neighboring cities, Istanbul has Kocaeli to its east and Tekirday to its west.
General Info About Istanbul’s Geography
Istanbul is a city that is located in the northwestern part of Turkey. Regarding the geography of this city, one of the important things that we can mention is the Bosphorus. The Bosphorus is a strait that separates the Asian and European parts of the city from each other. With the bridges connecting these two parts of the city, Istanbul connects two continents together.
While Istanbul is known by many as a busy and hectic city, there are many natural places in it, too. The city has coasts, both on the Sea of Marmara side and on the Black Sea side of it. Also, for those who want to enjoy a more tranquil vacation experience, the Princes’ Islands part of the city can be amazing. The Princes’ Island consist of four larger islands and several smaller ones. Istanbul has a temperate climate, with hot and somewhat dry summers and winters that have varying temperatures.
One of the factors that made Istanbul a significant city in its history was its geographical location. Situated between Europe and Asia, it was an important trading spot. In addition, the location of “the Old City” made it easy to defend.
Which Continents Does Istanbul Connect Together?
If you have researched about Istanbul, you may have learned that it is a city that connects two continents together. This is because the two sides of Istanbul, its European and Asian sides, are separated by the Bosphorus strait. The eastern part of Istanbul is considered its Asian side, while the western part of the city is considered its European side.
Due to this separation, Istanbul is a city that connects two continents together: Europe and Asia. So if you have been wondering where is Istanbul, this may be an important thing to know about the location and the geographical characteristics of the city.
Also Read: 9 Istanbul Bosphorus Cruises: Prices & Online Booking
Districts in Istanbul’s Asian Side and its European Side
Concerning the location of Istanbul and its geographical features, one thing that can be worth mentioning may be that the city is separated into two parts: the Asian Side and the European Side.
Some of the districts in the Asian Side of Istanbul are Kadıköy, Üsküdar, Kartal, Şile, Çekmeköy, Ataşehir and Beykoz. The districts in the European Side of Istanbul include ones like Fatih, Şişli, Beşiktaş, Beyoğlu, Sarıyer and Zeytinburnu. If you are curious about the districts in Istanbul, you can check out this post: “Istanbul Districts: What Each District Is Like In Istanbul“.
Where is Istanbul Located on a Map? How to Find Istanbul on a Map?
In case you are wondering: “where is Istanbul?”, you may be wanting to know how to find this city on a map. Firstly let’s begin by finding Turkey on a world map. For finding Turkey on a map, you can begin by finding arguably easier-to-find countries like Russia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Or you may find Europe and continue from there.
Turkey is on the southeastern side of Europe, southwestern side of Russia, north of Egypt and northwestern side of Saudi Arabia. Once you find Turkey, check out the northwestern part of the country. There, in the area where the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea connect, you can find Istanbul.
Where is Istanbul’s Most Famous Structures?
In case you are planning to visit Istanbul, aside from “where is Istanbul?”, you may also be wondering where some of the places of interest in this city are located in. Some of the famous places of interest in Istanbul are Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Basilica Cistern and the Galata Tower. Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Basilica Cistern are in the Fatih district of the city, while Galata Tower is in Beyoğlu.
Final Words
Have you been asking the question: “where is Istanbul?”. If so, we hope that we were able to answer it for you. In case you need a summary for this post where we discussed the topic: “where is Istanbul?”, let’s briefly summarize it: Istanbul is a city that is located in Turkey’s Marmara Region, which is in the northwestern side of the country.
Keep reading our posts to get much more Tips for Istanbul Travel and Istanbul Touristic Places.