Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
İstanbul Today
This meeting point of East and West has rarely been so full of confidence and hope for the future. In its
guise as Constantinople the city was powerful and mysterious, but as the 21st century gets into gear,
modern İstanbul is revelling in unprecedented growth and prosperity. It's also getting larger - the offi-
cial population is 14 million, but most locals think that 20 million is a more accurate estimate, leading
to huge problems with urban sprawl and inadequate infrastructure.
Best in Music
Mercan Dede
A major name on the international World Music scene, Dede's distinctive Sufi-elec-
tronic techno-fusion is showcased in his albums
Sayahatname
(2001),
Nar
(2002),
Sufi Traveller
(2004) and
Nefes
(2007).
İlhan Erşahin
The Turkish-American jazz saxophonist is a big name in both New York, where he
resides, and İstanbul, where he regularly plays at venues such as Babylon in Beyoğlu with the Istanbul
Sessions ensemble. Their most recent album is
Night Rider
(2012).
Fazıl Say
The internationally renowned pianist and composer has innumerable compositions and re-
cordings to his credit, including the 2009-10
İstanbul Symphony
.
Baba Zulu
A local alternative outfit with a unique psychedelic sound combining traditional Turkish
instruments, electronica, reggae and dub. Their most-recent album is
Gecekondu
(2010).
Sezen Aksu
The queen of Turkish pop;
Optum
(2011) was her first international release.
Too Many Tourists?
Tourism has boomed here over the last decade. Turkey is now the sixth-most-visited tour-
ism destination in the world, and İstanbul's role as a 2010 European Capital of Culture fo-
cused the international spotlight on the city, firming up its position as the country's
