British Newspaper The Daily Telegraph honoured Rome and Istanbul with ‘Best Cultural City’ and ‘Greatest Cultural Destination’ awards.

The awards ceremony for the 50 Greatest Cultural Destinations, held in association with prestigious british travel agency Page and Moy, were voted for by a panel of judges led by the author Anthony Horowitz of Daily Telegraph, as well as by the Telegraph’s readers.

Istanbul : ‘Best Cultural City’ and ‘Greatest Cultural Destination’ following Rome

Istanbul was named as a runner up in the categories of ‘Best Cultural City’ and ‘Greatest Cultural Destination’ at the recent award ceremony held in London for the Telegraph Awards following Rome.

The Director of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office in London, Tolga Tuyluoglu,was present at the ceremony and stated how proud he was to accept the awards. ‘I am delighted that Istanbul’s status as a top cultural destination has been recognised in this way. These awards undoubtedly celebrate the achievements of Istanbul as a European City of Culture in 2010. They also underline the importance of Turkey’s cultural attractions to the UK market.’ the director added in joy.

Turkey ‘s rich history attracts Brits

A tourism research done by Mintel on behalf of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office in the UK earlier this year indicated the significance of Turkey’s history and culture for the UK market and for british tourists. According to the survey, culture and history are the main reasons along with sun and water which attract British tourists to Turkey and Istanbul.

It is often supposed that British visitors to Turkey are mostly interested in sun, sea and sand, however, part of the same research shows that British visitors who had been to Turkey were asked whether they had visited a museum or historic site during their stay – a staggering 71% had done so.

What has Istanbul to offer ?

Istanbul is the quintessential meeting point of West with East, old with new.

Astride the Bosphorus, half in Europe, half in Asia, cosmopolitan Istanbul is the quintessential meeting point of West with East, old with new.

Though its obvious appeal is its astonishing Byzantine and Ottoman heritage, one of the best waterside café terraces from which to gaze across on its stupendous skyline is the at the city’s warehouse-like contemporary art gallery, Istanbul Modern, looking out over the Golden Horn to Sultanahmet and the domes of the Blue and Süleymaniye mosques, Hagia Sophia (now finally free of scaffolding) and the Topkapi Palace.

The art gallery opened in 2004, but it’s just one of several 21st-century galleries, among them Santral, the city’s equivalent to London’s Tate Modern (its home is a converted power plant), the Sakip Sabanci Museum, a private collection embracing Ottoman calligraphy, 19th-century Turkish and orientalist painting and decorative arts, and the Pera Museum (more orientalism and first-rate shows from international galleries). Later this year, the Nobel-laureate novelist Orhan Pamuk’s intriguing Museum of Innocence will open.
But ultimately it’s the great Ottoman landmarks that draw visitors. And for all the talk of fast-regenerating areas like Beyoglu, boho Çukurcuma or modish Cihangir, Sultanahmet remains the district you’ll want to linger in.

5 THINGS YOU CAN’T MISS

Haghia Sophia
The Emperor Justinian’s great sixth-century cathedral-turned-mosque-turned museum.
Sultanahmet “Blue” Mosque
More than 20,000 exquisite Iznik tiles decorate the walls of this sublime early 16th-century wonder.
Topkapi Palace
Invokes the beauty and luxury of the harem.
Rüstem Pasa Mosque
Built over a row of shops behind the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, it has the most exquisite Iznik interior of all the great architect Sinan’s mosques.
Egyptian Spice Bazaar
Less daunting than the Grand Bazaar, this is the place to buy rose-petal jam, dried mulberries and Turkish delight.

 

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