Istanbul´s magic is like nothing else. It´s unlike any other city in the world.

I wonder if there is any other city that has been the chief topic of so many books. From Orhan Pamuk´s “Istanbul” autobiography to Orhan Veli´s poem “Istanbul Song” and Jules Verne´s books, many novelists place the city at the center of their story. Napoleon Bonaparte at one time said, “If there was a single country in the world, Istanbul would be its capital.” It appears that Napoleon, who wanted to be the emperor, saw something different in Istanbul, which served as the capital of three empires. Maybe he even thought of conquering it when he invaded Egypt.

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=36703