At this hour, past mid-night in India, while I am sitting in front of the PC at Hotel TAKSIM PLAZA, located centrally at European side of Istanbul--- (I consider it the gateway rather corridor to Asia for Europe and vice versa), Istanbul is a beautiful rather wonderful city!
Landed yesterday evening (on IST past 10 pm} at local time 7.30 pm, it is sunny late evening before dusk in our own Mumbai in summer days. Daylight lingers here even at 8-8.15 pm local time. Unbelievable till one experiences!
From my history knowledge that I still recall, Istanbul is a traditional city (earlier known as Constantinople) of long heritage from Ottoman empire era and Asia Minor phases. It has Bosporus river connecting the Black sea on the Northern side with hilly contour all around shaded deeply in green with unspoilt trees and bushes, providing green portrait of hillocks. On the south, it has the Sea of Marmara. I would have never imagined how well this city has been synthesized its past heritage with its present aspirations of a modern metropolis.
Wide four lane (mostly) city roads on each side with right hand drive convention (like most developed countries) have been very well planned, designed and constructed to give ways to moving traffic without much hindrance. Hardly one finds traffic signal. It is somewhat interesting to see that all commercial and residential blocks, large corporate offices have their logos, names and addresses only in Turkish language ---- not a trace of English anywhere! Of course, percentage of English speaking population is also nominal. Visitors like us hardly can communicate with local people without interpreter. So we tried, for this business visit, to pick up few words of common use. Strangely some of the words have familiarity with our Hindi, like sehir (sahar-city), insan (insaan-people), ulke (mulk---country).
People are full of warmth and jest. Women resemble the western counter parts, unlike Muslim conutries we know and they are as much professional and poised as men are. Western products and openness are as much evident in their life style and living disciplines.
No trace of pollution is evident and cleanliness is abound everywhere, be it modern part of the city i.e. European side and traditional part known as Turkish side. Entire city is harmonized in picturesque manner. It is a treat to the eyes for visitors like us used to fight it out in our metropolitan cities.
It is really beautiful with wide plaza around circles and squares with large and small, modern and not so modern buildings all around, but all well looked after as if draped with proper painting and maintenance. No litters and of course, no slums that we observe in almost all our cities. The city has retained some of its relics as heritage---looks like properly maintained, not inscribed with names etc. as seen in our old monuments.
I can assure you, if you intend to visit this part, you will enjoy the experience more than you do in European cities. It is that attractive and beautiful!