The old city is mainly located on the Bosporus strait, which separates Europe from Asia and the Black Sea from the Marmara Sea. However, the modern city is much larger and covers both European and Asian sides of the Bosporus. Famous tourist places include Sariyer, Eyüp and Taksim on the European side, and Beykoz, Üsküdar, Kadiköy, Moda, Bostanci and Adalar (the Princes Islands) on the Asian side. Although Istanbul is no longer the capital of Turkey, it is still the major city in Turkey's industry, commerce and culture and the most important import and export center.
It is sometimes said that the name Istanbul comes from the Greek words stin poli which means "at the City". This is a historical myth. The name is merely a Turkish contraction of Constantinoupolis, with the Turkish article I on the front, just as Smyrna became Izmir and Nicaea became Iznik. The intermediate form Stamboul was commonly used in the 19th century.
For the history of Istanbul pre-1930s, see the articles at Byzantium and Constantinople.
On November 20, 2003, two bombs exploded in Istanbul, destroying the Turkish HQ of HSBC Holdings, a bank headquartered in London. The second bomb destroyed the British Consulate, killing the Consulate General, Robert Short. The attacks came only weeks after suicide blasts at two synagogues in the city.
For Istanbul cymbals, see Istanbul cymbals.
