Explore Istanbul, a city of contrasts

The Turkish city of Istanbul is a bustling, exotic place, full of stunning architecture and fascinating sights and sounds.

Situated on the Bosphorus River and the dividing line between the East and West, Istanbul is Turkey's largest city and it spans the edges of Europe and Asia.

With a population of 12 million people, Istanbul is busy and vibrant, with old traditions rubbing shoulders with the ancient world and a breathtaking skyline.

Budget airline EasyJet has just announced that it has been granted permission to fly to Istanbul from London's Luton airport. The new service is due to being in late July, with daily flights during the daytime, and the start date will be announced shortly.

Istanbul, originally Byzantium, has played a central role in world history and was established by a man named Byzas following a conversation with the oracle at Delphi in 657BC. The capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, as Constantinople, and the heart of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul flourished.

The Turkish Republic was established in 1923 and Ankara became the capital, but Istanbul has witnessed a revival in recent years as a popular destination for tourists.

Istanbul has a wealth of excellent museums, galleries and grand buildings, with some of the best including the Archaeological Museum, the Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans, the Dolmabahce Palace, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Ibrahim Pasa Palace and the Hippodrome (Atmeydani).

The vast and stunning Hagia Sophia, or Church of the Divine Wisdom, built in AD 532 by Emperor Justinian has been both a cathedral and a mosque and bears the marks of both religions under its huge dome. Blue Mosque (Mosque of Sultan Ahmet) is a beautiful building, stunningly decorated inside with traditional Iznik tiles and still a working, busy mosque.

No visit to Istanbul is complete without a visit to the Grand Bazaar, with its thousands of stalls selling all manner of brightly coloured goods, glittering jewellery and rich textiles. The ancient market has around 4,000 shops selling carpets, textiles, copper, brass, jewellery, leather goods, and other items.

At night, Istanbul offers a range of fashionable bars and clubs, shows with folk dancers, circus performers, belly dancers, whirling dervishes and singers, and an International Theatre Festival in May.

Istanbul enjoys pleasant spring and winter months, with temperatures and humidity soaring during the height of summer.