Salipazari Istanbul Port
The Port of Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey. The old city is located on the peninsula between Europe and Asia, covering both continents. It was the capital of the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Turkish Republic. Located on a peninsula at the entrance to the Black Sea, the Port of Istanbul is about 295 nautical miles southwest of the Port of Sevastopol in Ukraine and about 378 nautical miles northeast of Greece's Port of Piraeus. In 2005, over 9.7 million people lived in the Port of Istanbul.
In addition to housing Turkey's biggest and busiest ports, the Port of Istanbul is the country's industrial center and an important hub for tourism. The Port of Istanbul offers maritime transportation services in many forms ranging from dinghies and small ferries to large international liners.
Cotton, olive oil, fruit, and tobacco are produced in the Port of Istanbul's hinterland, and local manufacturers produce textiles, oils, electronics, metal ware, rubber, leather, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automobiles and vehicles, glass, electronics, and alcohol. Forbes magazine reported in 2008 that the Port of Istanbul is home to 35 billionaires. The Port of Istanbul generates over half of Turkey's trade and almost half of its wholesale trade. The Port of Istanbul is also an important tourist destination. The tourist industry caters to vacationers and traveling professionals. In 2006, over 23 million tourists visited the country, most of who arrived through the Port of Istanbul.