5 largest cities in Turkey

Turkey is not only a paradise for tourists, but also an industrial country with a rapidly developing economy. According to 2014, the state has nine millionaires. We will tell you about the five largest of them: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa and Adana.

Istanbul

The list of the largest cities of Turkey is headed by the ancient and many-sided Istanbul with the population approaching 11 million. Behind him are the millennia of history and the four great empires (Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman), the capital of which he was.

Now it is an industrial, cultural and commercial center of the country. Istanbul is located on the shores of the Bosporus Strait, which divides it into two parts - Asian and European - connected by bridges and metro tunnel. By population, the city is the largest not only in Turkey, but also throughout Europe. According to statistics, every fifth Turks live in it.

Istanbul, like a kaleidoscope, combines the traditions of all peoples who once lived in this territory. Mosques and churches, cathedrals and synagogues, modern theaters and remnants of Roman buildings, Egyptian obelisks and a German fountain, palaces and fortresses, oriental bazaars and modern shopping centers - it seems that everything is in it.

Ankara

Ankara is the capital and large city of Turkey, whose population is approaching 5 million people (currently 4.9 million). It is located at an altitude of about 938 m above sea level on the Anatolian plateau. The city is known since ancient times. Having an advantageous position at the crossroads of trade routes linking Asia and Europe, it became one of the centers of Asia Minor.

Ankara is the second most important and economic potential of Turkey after Istanbul. Its rapid development has determined the advantageous position on the transport routes. Numerous industrial facilities, trading companies, banks, educational institutions and proximity to mineral deposits have made the city attractive to investors.

Like other major cities in Turkey, Ankara has developed infrastructure and rich history attracts tourists. Almost a billion people a year take its international airport.

Izmir

The Mediterranean Turkish city of Izmir (the center of the same province) closes the top three. Its population is about 2.8 million people. Traditionally, Izmir is considered the most liberal city in Turkey. Its existence has been known since ancient times. Up to the sad notorious massacre of 1922 the city was inhabited mainly by the Greeks, it was Christian.

One of the largest cities of Turkey has an excellent geographical position on the shores of the Izmir Bay, surrounded by low hills. Picturesque views and a temperate Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers make it attractive for tourists.

In Izmir, production of BMC Sanayi ve Ticaret A. грузо trucks and buses has been established. And Izmir Technological Institute is one of the leading Turkish higher educational institutions.

Bursa

The large administrative center of Bursa is located in the north-west of Anatolia. He rightly has the status of one of the largest cities in Turkey for the population, because The number of people living in it exceeds 1.5 million.

It is believed that Bursa was founded in 202 BC. And at different times belonged to the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, moreover, the city was the capital in the period from 1326 to 1365. Now it is famous for ski resorts on the Uludag mountain, the Green Mosque and the mausoleum. The city has a metro and a well-developed tram network.

Adana

Closes the list of major cities of Turkey Adana, which is the administrative center of the same area. The settlement is located only 50 km from the Mediterranean coast, on the river Seyhan. It is characterized by a typical Mediterranean climate with dry and hot summers. The population of Adana according to the latest data is more than 1.5 million people.

The city has an ancient history and at different times was under the auspices of Great Armenia, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, the Cilician Armenian kingdom. Thanks to its advantageous geographical location, it was called the key to the Taurus aisles. In the old days was famous for its trade.

Currently, it is a large city in Turkey, an industrial center with a developed chemical, textile and food industry.