Discount Airfares to Istanbul

İstanbul (a Turkish contraction of Greek εις την πολιν "into the city", the former Constantinople , Κωνσταντινούπολις) is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. It is located on the Bosphorus strait, and encompasses the natural harbor known as the Golden Horn (Turkish: Haliç), in the northwest of the country. It is officially located in both Europe and Asia, but is generally considered European, perhaps because its predecessor, Constantinople, was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Its 2000 Census population is 8,803,468 (city proper) and 10,018,735 (metropolitan area), making it, by some counts, one of the largest cities, in Europe. Census bureau estimate of 7/20/2005 is 11,322,000 for the city proper. İstanbul is located at 41° N′ 28″ E, ° {{{6}}}′ {{{7}}}″ {{{8}}}, and is the capital of İstanbul Province.

Originally founded by Greek colonists as Byzantium, it was made into the eastern capital of the Roman Empire in AD 324, by the Roman Emperor Constantine; Byzantium was re-named Nova Roma (" New Rome"), but this name failed to impress; and the city soon became known as Constantinople, "the City of Constantine". With the fall of Rome and the Western Roman Empire, Constantinople became the sole capital of what historians now call the Byzantine Empire. This empire was distinctly Greek in culture, and became the centre of Greek Orthodox Christianity after an earlier split with Rome, and was adorned with many impressive churches; including the once, world's-largest cathedral: Hagia Sophia. The seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople, spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox Church, was located in what is now Istanbul. After the Fall of Constantinople to the invading Turks, in 1453, Constantinople became part of the Ottoman Empire and soon, its capital. Before the conquest, Turks called the city İstanbul, but officially used the name Qusţanţaniyyeh (قسطنطنيه), which means "City of Constantine" in Arabic. Only on March 28, 1930, was the city officially renamed İstanbul. This often causes confusion among foreigners, as illustrated by the song "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" by The Four Lads.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul

Airfare Sales to Europe!
From To Valid Departing Dates Airfares From
New York London 06/01/2008 - 08/31/2008 $939.00
Chicago Madrid 06/01/2008 - 08/31/2008 $1163.00
Los Angeles London 06/01/2008 - 08/31/2008 $1125.00
Miami Frankfurt 06/01/2008 - 08/31/2008 $1210.00
San Francisco Berlin 06/01/2008 - 08/31/2008 $1258.00
Miami Rome 06/01/2008 - 08/31/2008 $1567.00
Seattle Istanbul 06/01/2008 - 08/31/2008 $1363.00
Los Angeles Rome 06/01/2008 - 08/31/2008 $1516.00
Atlanta Athens 06/01/2008 - 08/31/2008 $1279.00
Dallas Amsterdam 06/01/2008 - 08/31/2008 $1252.00

Rules: All airfares listed above include all taxes and surcharges. Fares are subject to change without notice. Fares are not guaranteed until ticketed.

Europe Airfares to