Matt Lauer speaking with Americans in Istanbul says that there are about 12000 Americans living in Istanbul today. It's a city where Europe and Asia meet each other and where you get the best of European and Asian cultures.
From beautiful Byzantine architecture to a 4,000-stall shopping "mall," Istanbul is a city that has it all. TODAY travel editor Peter Greenberg highlights the must-see sights.
Geographically, it straddles Europe and Asia. It's a great hub for traveling either east or west. But it's also a great place to start your trip. It brings together Ottoman mosques, Byzantine mosaics and Roman masonry. It is the most densely populated and cosmopolitan city in Turkey, and in my experience it remains the center of Turkish culture. Each neighborhood within the city retains its own distinct character.
Like Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, Turkish cuisine is all about flavor and spices (caution: you must love garlic and lemon). Vegetarian dishes abound here, with salads, grilled vegetables, hummus and other spicy dips. You can also find plenty of lamb kebobs, seafood, and grilled meats. If you can’t decided on just one dish, mezzes are small plates of hot and cold appetizers, and is a popular dining option among locals.
Must-see sights in Istanbul
Blue Mosque: Named for the blue tiles that decorate the interior, the Blue Mosque is a working religious facility; which means it is a bad idea to visit during prayer times. Completed in 1617, it was Sultan Ahmet’s way of saying “size doesn’t matter” in response to the Hagia Sophia, which is located right across from it. It has 16 balconies and six minarets, and an underground pool that regulates the inside temperature. It also houses Sultan Ahmet’s tomb, those of his family, and a reliquary that contains strands of the Prophet Muhammad’s beard.Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofia): When it was built in 537 CE, it was the biggest building in the world. Now it is a museum, with a gold-leaf mosaic dome with hundreds of circular windows. The gallery inside contains Byzantine mosaics that were uncovered from beneath a layer of Ottoman plaster, as well as the “sweating pillar.” The pillar contains a small hole that you stick your finger into, and the drop of water that hits your finger is thought to contain healing properties.
Turkey has in recent years been investing substantial funds in developing travel and tourism industry. If fact just last week I received an invitation to travel Turkey for 9 days on a reconnaissance tour and stay in first class hotels for only 1500 dollars. The rest of the bill would have been picked up by Turkish partners in the hope that we would bring more tourists to the country.
However, while a democracy Turkey still has some work to do about its human rights record. Continual denial of the Armenian Genocide, the controversial Article 301 (which was partially revisited two days ago and still remain controversial), Kurdish issue and the rights of minority Christians have become difficult roadblocks for Turkey's aspiration to become an EU member state.
However, it's a beautiful country, Istanbul is a very beautiful city and tourism is growing.
Where do you think in the world is Matt Lauer tomorrow? I guess another cool destination.
