Istanbul is a city of crossroads—of continents, empires, and destinies. It is where Europe meets Asia, where the past collides with the present, and where the skyline is punctuated by domes and minarets that echo the call to prayer. The Bosphorus, ever watchful, carves its way between the two worlds, a shimmering artery that has carried centuries of traders, conquerors, and dreamers.
Life unfolds in layers here. The streets are ruled by cats—perched on café tables, stretching lazily in the sun outside mosques, or watching over shopkeepers from their chosen corners. They navigate the chaos with effortless grace, slipping through the city's rhythm like ghosts of Byzantium. Perhaps they, more than anyone, truly own Istanbul.
And in the midst of it all, people live with a pace both frenetic and unhurried. Cafés hum with conversation late into the night, with friends lingering for hours over a single coffee. It gives the city an illusion of warmth, a kind of intimacy that you can observe from the outside but not always step into.