Capital of Culture

Istanbul has been one of the world's most important cities for more than 1.500 years. It is the only city in the world that is in both Europe, and Asia and it became the European Capital of Culture in 2010. An effective mixture of modern and ancient influences, Istanbul has been a major tourist attraction in Turkey for many years. However the number of tourist visiting Istanbul has risen greatly since it became the Capital of Culture in 2010.

Links with Literature

It is perhaps not surprising that many authors have written or based their novels in Istanbul. Agatha Christie for example, the famous British crime author wrote her most famous book, Murder On the Orient Express, in 1934, while staying at the Pera Palas Hotel in Istanbul. For a period of 94 years (from 1883 until 1977) thr Orient Expresd was one of thr most luxurious ways to travel across Europe .

Barbara Nadel is a contemporary British novelist. She has been in love with Turkey since her first visit to Turkey more than 30 years ago, and has written a series of crime novels based in Istanbul. Since the first Çetin Ikmen (the chain-smoking police detrctive) novel appeared in 1999, she has written a total of 17 novels in thos series.

A fascinating City

Istanbul remains one of the most fascinating cities in the world and is certainly a genuine city of culture. It attracts approximately 7.5 million tourists a year. If you are unable to visit the city in person, why don't you try reading ona of Barbara Nadel's Istanbul based novels for a taste of this exotic and fascinating city?