ERASMUS INTENSIVE LANGUAGE COURSES - Sabanci University

GfNA-II-C-ERA EILC grant agreement-Annex II-organising institution information form – version October 2011
PART I: GENERAL INFORMATION
DESCRIPTION OF TOWN
- SHORT HISTORY AND LOCATION
Istanbul's dual identity as point of origin for Europe and Asia is due to the city's east-west borders as well
as its shorelines on the Black Sea looking towards to the north, and the Bosphorus' southern waters flowing to
the Sea of Marmara. Central to Istanbul is the Bosphorus, dividing the city into two. This important waterway
has served as the pathway for all trade passing through the city for thousands of years. The only way to reach
the open seas of the Aegean and the Mediterranean from the East is to navigate the turbulent waters of the
Bosphorus. The strait has an approximate 31 km length with an average width of 1.5 km. The strait's
narrowest part is between Anadolu Hisari and Rumeli Hisari having a width of 698 m.
Traces of communal settlements on the European side by the shores of Kucukcekmece Lake can be found
as far back as 300,000 years, and tools dating from the Lower Palaeolithic Age (around 100,000 years ago)
have been discovered on the Asian coastline. Kadikoy, another suburb of the Asian side, was also the site of
an important culture at around 5000 B.C.
Kadikoy forms also the foundations of what is now called Istanbul. In 700 B.C., Greek pioneers from the
city of Megara from the mainland and from Miletus, on the Anatolian coast of the southern Aegean,
established the town of Chalcedon in the area of today's Kadikoy. On the opposite side of the Bosphorus,
Greek colonists led by King Byzas created the colony of Byzantium, based on the Oracle of Delphi which
suggested that earlier settlements were 'blind' to the attractive location at the mouth of Bosphorus Strait. In 306
Constantine the Great made Byzantium the capital of the Roman Empire, and the city served as a loci for trade
and transport among three continents. What made Byzantium so desirable also contributed to its downfall:
Persians, Arabs, raiders from the north, and Crusaders all attacked the wealthy city. In 1457 Byzantium finally
succumbed to the Ottomans under Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror. The Ottoman Empire lasted until its defeat
along with its allies at the end of World War I. Istanbul saw its shores invaded in 1918 by the Allies; however,
five years later, in 1923, the city was incorporated into the Turkish Republic.
When enjoying the sunset on the shores of the Bosphorus, visitors and inhabitants alike realize why so
many centuries ago settlers chose this remarkable site.
- MAIN LOCAL/CULTURAL EVENTS
Istanbul's museums, churches, mosques, palaces, and many other areas of interest offer a rich cultural and
historical experience to all. The possibilities are endless. The cultural heritage, which is a well essence of
300.000 years and many civilizations, can be viewed from streets to museums, from residences to bazaars.
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