Istanbul has been designated European capital of culture 2010. Conceived as a means of bringing citizens of European Union  closer together, the European City of Culture was launched on June 13, 1985 by the Council of Ministers on the initiative of the Greek Minister of Culture Melina Mercouri. Since then, the initiative has been more and more successful amongst European citizens and has had a growing cultural and socio-economic impact on the numerous visitors it has attracted.

Discount flights to Istanbul: AirWay.net >>>

Hotels in Istanbul: AbcHotel.com >>>

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