Cruise-Istanbul-Aya-SofiaWelcome to the Istanbul cruise port guide. This is one of the best place in the world to cruise. Exactly where the European and Asian borders meet we find the city of Istanbul on the river Bosphorus. It is impossible not to fall in love with this city. With a population of about 14 million it is one of the largest cities in Europe. Just like Lisbon, Rome and other great European cities is has been build on 7 hills. With the fall of Rome, one part of the Roman empire would vanish, but the eastern part would flourish as the Byzantine empire with Istanbul as its capitol. Back than the city was known as Constantinople. In 1453 it would fall to the Ottoman Turks who converted the city to Islam and renamed it Istanbul. Because of this historical event still 90% of the cities inhabitants is Muslim. The city is the city of borders and meeting points. It’s not just Europe and Asia that meet here, but also old and new, tradition and modernity. It is a city that will not fail to amaze you. You ship will sail the famous Dardanelles over the sea of Marmara, onto the Bosphorus where you can enjoy one of the most scenic arrivals in the world.