{"id":107752,"date":"2014-05-25T13:32:14","date_gmt":"2014-05-25T10:32:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/?p=107752"},"modified":"2023-04-14T14:19:12","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T11:19:12","slug":"istanbul-is-a-thriving-metropolis-that-straddles-europe-and-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/2014\/05\/25\/istanbul-is-a-thriving-metropolis-that-straddles-europe-and-asia\/","title":{"rendered":"Istanbul is a thriving metropolis that straddles Europe and Asia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A number of new hotels have opened, the food and shopping scene is excellent, and the city as a whole is an exciting mix of history and modernism<\/h1>\n
BY\u00a0ALEX PALMER<\/div>\n
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS<\/div>\n<\/header>\n
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ALEX PALMER<\/span>Istanbul\u2019s Blue Mosque includes a grand dome and eight secondary domes.<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Istanbul may be a world away in both geography and culture, but New Yorkers who visit will feel right at home.<\/p>\n

The Turkish metropolis, which straddles the Bosphorus Strait dividing Europe and Asia, has seen a population explosion, now with more than 14 million people living in the city, coming from all corners of the country and world.<\/p>\n

This influx of people not only makes Istanbul a bustling destination (with a vibrant art and film scene, as well as sidewalks packed with pedestrians, just like Gotham), but has led to rapid development and great new attractions in previously overlooked areas.<\/p>\n

A number of new hotels have opened recently, with others slated for completion in coming months. Among the most notable is the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center. When it opened in January, the 34-story tower atop a hill in the once-sleepy Sisli district became the city\u2019s largest hotel and conference center, with 829 rooms and suites with floor-to-ceiling windows and cutting-edge in-room technology.<\/p>\n

Among the cool conveniences: The surround-sound system connects directly to your MP3 player, and you can activate the \u201cDo Not Disturb\u201d alert with the push of a bedside button.<\/p>\n

But while the hotel exudes modernity, what sets it apart is how it simultaneously embraces Istanbul\u2019s past. The Hilton\u2019s Eforea spa, in addition to a full menu of treatments drawing on health research, provides a traditional\u00a0hamam<\/i>\u00a0, in which the guest lies on a marble slab while being soaped and rinsed by an attendant. The Globe restaurant downstairs provides high-end dining in the evenings and traditional Turkish fare throughout the day.<\/p>\n

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In Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia\u2019s grand ceilings instill a sense of awe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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