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Istanbul visitors 'attracted to glorious heritage'

18 Nov 2008

The Turkish city of Istanbul boasts a 'glorious' heritage that makes it highly popular with tourists, according to Istanbul2010, the company responsible for running the city's events and activities when it is European Capital of Culture in 2010.

Ozgul Ozkan Yavuz, director of events and organisations for Istanbul2010, pointed out that the city was once the capital of three different empires and has always been an important religious site.

She said that this rich history means there are many museums in the city, but also pointed out that there is more to see if tourists are willing to explore.

'There are hundreds of art galleries which are not well known in the international arena,' she said. 'We have nightlife and shopping with lots of privately opened museums for modern art.'

According to Europa, the role of European Capital of Culture offers many benefits to the chosen city, with an opportunity to present a year-long programme that highlights the richness and diversity of their culture.

Figures from Turkey's tourism ministry show that more than 21m foreigners visited the country between January and September this year, an increase of 13% on the same period in 2007.

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