Megacity on the Bosporus

What do you think of when you think of Christmas? Mike Pilewski thought of turkey, and got the idea to visit İstanbul over the holidays. Caught between Europe and Asia, between tradition and modernity, this city of more than 12 million people is an intellectual capital, a banking capital, a fashion capital and now the European Capital of Culture in 2010.

Mike: "İstanbul is full of surprises. In a megacity, one expects everything to be noisy, hectic and about to collapse under its own weight. Instead, public spaces here are used for relaxation, and people take time to enjoy life. That includes these boys fishing in the busy waters of the Golden Horn. In the distance we see Beyoğlu, the trendy part of town, with its landmark, the Galata Tower."

Fishing on the Golden Horn