Istanbul became the setting for filming many series, documentaries, commercials and movies during the past two years.

The city boasted a total of 1,600 shoots for television series, films, documentaries and commercials in 2010 and 2011. Istanbul is like an open air plateau, according to Culture and Tourism Provincial Manager Ahmet Emre Bilgili.

Istanbul also hosted many international films and documentaries. The Culture and Tourism provincial manager said there were many recent developments in terms of film, series and documentary works in Istanbul.

While international teams visited Istanbul for daily and monthly broadcastings, international commercials and films also took place in Istanbul.

The upcoming James Bond flick, ‘Skyfall,’ is scheduled to begin shooting in Istanbul this spring and BMW sub-brand MINI was Istanbul for its new thirty-second promo film as part of the “Another Day. Another Adventure” campaign that kicked off last fall.

Istanbul has a perfect potential to serve as a setting for series, documentaries, movies and commercials. With its historical sites, the Bosphorus and cultural heritage, the city is like an open air museum.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com

The survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI), of more than 600 leading real estate professionals across Europe, found Istanbul number one for investment and development. The popularity of the city is mainly attributed to its young, growing population and strong economic growth prospects. The survey states, “Turkey’s appeal is based on a long-term view of the future,” and says that with consumer spending on the rise, retail development in the country has high potential.

Istanbul is the new hotspots for property investors and developers, as much of Europe remains mired in a vicious cycle of low or no growth, mounting debt and drastic austerity measures.

Its popularity is due largely to its strong economic growth prospects and demographics (a young, growing population). Istanbul real estate Retail development in Turkey has particularly high potential, with consumer spending on the rise and an influx of major international companies. “Turkey’s appeal is based on a long-term view of the future,” says Emerging Trends.

In addition to Istanbul, the survey also found hotspots in the European real estate market to be Munich, due to its having the lowest rates of unemployment in Germany, and Warsaw, an Eastern European financial center. Berlin and Stockholm ranked in the top five as well, while London fell from second in 2011 to 10th in 2012. Moscow made the top 10 for the first time.

Photo by guillenperez

18.2 percent of Turkey’s entire population, or more than 13.5 million reside in Istanbul, according to a recent annual demographic survey conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK).

Istanbul also leads the list with respect to the rate of urbanization, as 99 percent of the province’s population lives in urban settings.

The study also revealed an increase of about 1 million people in Turkey’s overall population that has now grew to more than 74.7 million people. That jump corresponds to an annual population growth rate of 1.35 percent.

Males account for 50.2 percent of the overall population, while the remaining 49.8 percent consists of females, according to the survey.

The Global MetroMonitor tracks economic growth in the world’s 200 largest metro areas, both in terms of employment and per capita income. For 2011, Istanbul came in at number 7.

Turkey’s three largest cities claim a spot on the fastest-growing metropolitan economies list prepared by the Brookings Institution. İzmir, Ankara and Istanbul took the fourth, sixth and seventh places respectively.

The Global MetroMonitor report served as “an analysis of per capita income and employment changes in the 2010 to 2011 period for 200 of the world’s largest metropolitan economies, which account for nearly one-half (48 percent) of global output but contain only 14 percent of world population and employment.”

China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Brazil accounted for more than half the world’s forty fastest-growing metro areas. The US and Britain, by contrast, accounted for half of the forty weakest metros.

The total number of foreign tourists visiting Istanbul reached 8 million in 2011, official data said.

According to a statement released by the Istanbul Culture and Tourism Department, number of foreign tourists visiting Istanbul surpassed eight million.

In 2010, 6.9 million foreign tourists had visited Istanbul.

German travelers constituted the majority of foreign tourists visiting Istanbul in 2011. They were followed by Russians, Americans, Italians and French tourists.

The number of visitors from Arab countries grew the fastest with a 28.5 percent increase.

Visitors from Saudi Arabia increased the most with 71.3 percent, which was followed by Iraq with an increase of 64.7 percent, Kuwait, 61.5 percent and Lebanon, 40.7 percent.

The number of tourists from Japan, Spain and Israel visiting Istanbul in 2011 dropped compared to previous year.

With New Year’s right around the corner, malls and shopping centers in Turkey are optimistic about lucrative holiday sales unlike their counterparts in crisis-hit Europe.

Istanbul’s Galleria shopping center has used 530 meters of holiday lights for its indoor and outdoor lighting to attract shoppers. In addition, it has decorated the mall with lighting to give the effect of dangling icicles, Anatolia news agency reported.

Capitol shopping center on Istanbul’s Anatolian side has created a wonderland of gingerbread candy houses that are large enough to accommodate shoppers walking through and have intrigued both children and adults alike.

The situation in Turkey stands in sharp contrast to Europe where shoppers have tightened their purse strings.

Santa visiting City’s Nisantasi

Istanbul rooftop bars are also the best way to escape from the crowded streets of the city Istanbul, with its winding streets, Bosphorus-front location and eclectic blend of minarets and skyscrapers, offers one of the most interesting skylines in the world. Ascending to one of the city’s many rooftop bars, restaurants, or terraces is a great way to take in the view and enhance its dramatic effect.

With so many to choose from, though, it can be difficult selecting the right roof for the right occasion.

Here are the best rooftop bars to enjoy Istanbul’s spectacular skyline.

Gaja Roof
Gaja Roof, is a tribute to summer. Located at the 16th floor of Swissôtel, Gaja Roof offers you the Bosphorus at its best. Decorated with modern and minimalist style, Gaja Roof is the perfect place to relax, unwind and enjoy life. At Gaja Roof, you can savor summer delicacies from our regularly changing seasonal menu, paired with our finest selection of Premium wines and freshly made cocktails. With signature cocktails, live DJ Suat Ateşdağlı and his team mixing late into the night, Gaja Roof is the place to be seen this summer.

5.Kat Istanbul
Don’t be fooled by the unimposing entrance to Cihangir’s 5Kat. Take the red elevator up to the fifth floor (hence the name, which means the same) and you’ll find yourself in a funky garden patio with a central view of the cityscape and the Bosphorus. With its open air, blue walls and ceiling, abundant plants and flowers, 5.Kat in Istanbul feels fresh and open, a world away from the bustle of nearby Taksim. On Sundays, they offer a brunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Vogue Istanbul
Modern and understated, with lounge music kept low enough for conversation, Vogue, located on the top floor of the Beşiktaş Plaza, is an ideal place to hold a business dinner. A bookshelf with magazines and coffee-table books greet patrons as they walk in, setting the tone for a sophisticated experience. From the attentive service, to the pre-shelled pistachios, hazelnuts, and stuffed olives served with drinks, to the sushi bar, Vogue goes all out to ensure guests are satisfied. The Zagat Survey and TimeOut Istanbul have both recognized Vogue’s food as some of the best in Istanbul. Vogue is open daily from noon until 2 a.m. and Sundays for brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Leb-i-derya
Leb-i-derya offers three locations, but if it’s a romantic dinner and drinks you’re after, head to the top floor of the Richmond hotel on İstiklal Avenue in the heart of Taksim. Lebiderya in Istanbul was chosen one of the top 15 bars of the world by Sunday Times. The restaurant’s location means many lively bars and clubs are easily accessible post-dinner. A long, extravagant drink menu offers classics as well as unique creations, like the basil margarita or the pear and rosemary mojito, each for 27 Turkish Liras.

360 Istanbul
Located at the top of the Mısır Apartments on İstiklal, 360 is the place to go if you’re looking to experience some of Istanbul’s high-end nightlife, or if you want to dance. Enter the restaurant and weekend club from the sixth floor and be greeted with the panoramic view that earned 360 its name. It regularly attracts DJs, and on the weekends there are few better roof bars to go to dance. The dress code is strictly enforced; this is not the place to come in Nikes and shorts. Go for dinner during the week if you’re looking for a more low-key experience. 360 Istanbul is open from noon until 2 a.m., except on the weekends when it’s open until 4 a.m.

NuTeras
In Summer on the rooftop of the Nu Pera building, NuTeras Restaurant offers and elegant and upscale atmosphere and stunning views of the Golden Horn. People with diverse lifestyles shake off their prejudices with the unifying spirit of music and the spell of the venue and come together under the same roof. This was the first Beyoĸlu venue to lure posh Turks from their usual haunts in Etiler. Unlike other new venues that were crowded out then swiftly abandoned, Nu Teras is a survivor that can be considered a classic.

Leave a comment below if you know any other cool rooftop bars in Istanbul.

Thanks to special animations made for the project, which will cost a total of 4.5 million Turkish Liras, virtual Janissaries will introduce the weapons and dresses of the period, while the Ottomans’ deployment on three continents will be seen in miniatures.

The weapons section of Istanbul’s Topkapı Palace is being entirely redesigned and will soon display short animations and films featuring Ottoman soldiers and weapons culture.

According to a written statement released by the Istanbul Provincial Administration, the renovation work at the Topkapı Palace Weapons Section, which served as the Foreign Treasury Building during the Ottoman Empire, was recently finished using the latest technological equipment.

After the completion of the restoration project, a new project will be launched for the display of the works. The project will cost a total of 4.5 million Turkish Liras.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com

Recently voted ‘The Greatest DJ Of All Time’ by Mixmag and widely regarded as the world’s biggest DJ/Producer, Tiësto has worked with global superstars such as Nelly Furtado, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Goldfrapp and more… His recently completed Kaleidoscope World Tour spanned more than 15 months and 175 dates across 6 continents playing to over 1,000,000+ people. He was nominated for two 2010 Billboard Touring Awards and listed in Billboard’s Top 25 biggest grossing global touring acts of 2010.

Tiësto is busier than ever in 2011 with the launch of ‘Tiësto In Concert’ in Las Vegas, his monthly residency at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and global tour dates supporting the release of his highly anticipated new Club Life – Volume One Las Vegas mix album on his own Musical Freedom label.

Whether it be the 250,000 revelers coming together at Ipanema Beach in Rio De Janeiro, the adoring clubbers who descend upon Privilege in Ibiza on a Monday night every summer, or the 25,000 fans en masse at Victoria Park in London, all are in attendance for the same reason: they have come to see Tiësto, the world’s biggest DJ/Producer!

Burn presents Tiesto
When: June 19, 2011 18:00
Where: Parkorman, İstanbul

Tickets: biletix.com

Club To Club, Torino’s International Festival of Electronic Music and Arts, is back in Istanbul with an exclusive special edition called “State Of Indepen/Dance.”

Based in Torino, Club To Club is one of Italy’s best-known festivals that began collaborating with the Turkish megacity last November. With a general emphasis on underground house and techno artists, the event draws some of the largest lineups seen on the Italian clubbing calendar each year.

Club To Club Istanbul, which started yesterday, is packed with special previews by some of the most acclaimed visionary musicians worldwide. The festival is taking place in locations including Tamirane, Otto Santral, Energy Museum in Santralistanbul, Minimuzikhol and Sumahan Space (1902), and will feature some of the most significant names in today’s music scene who will perform until the end of the festival on Saturday.

The premiere of the film “Zeitgeist Istanbul,” by multi-awarded video artist Carlos Casas, will also feature at the festival and will be followed the works of four upcoming contemporary Turkish video artists: Can Eren, Candaş Şişman, Burçin Esin and Umut Kebabcı. The videos will all be airing at santralistanbul Energy Museum at the top of the Golden Horn in Eyüp.

The guest of honor of the festival is British electronic music artist, DJ and producer James Holden. Known for his “trans” and “minimal” style, Holden’s popularity skyrocketed with his “The Idiots Are Winning” album. Holden later founded his own record label Border Community, which started the careers of many young musicians, such as Nathan Fake and a number of others. Holden often performs alongside his label mates at one of his Border Community label nights at Corsica Studios in London. He will be at santralistanbul with electronic music producer Luke Abbott.

London-based electronic music artist, DJ, and owner of the Hyperdub record label Kode9 will play half an hour of new material in his two-hour program at the festival. The program will also include tracks from his 2011 album “Black Sun.” Kode9 draws on dub reggae in his works, and whe as one of the founding members of the early dubstep scene, which he views as a continuation of developments originally stemming from U.K. Hardcore.

Club To Club Istanbul will also feature art events and workshops while the interactive video installation “Skipping Tales” will be open to children and adults of all ages.

The workshop event “Music is Everywhere” will be for kids between the ages of 5 and 12. Children will playfully create music from nothing with the objects surrounding them, discovering electronic music that comes from the magic of simplicity. Another workshop “Performing Electronic Music” will also be open to all ages.

Tickets for each event are priced at 45 Turkish Liras. For further info, please visit www.clubtoclub.it.

Source: hurriyetdailynews