This is the largest city in Europe
Europe is home to a wide variety of countries and cultures. More than 700 million people live in a total of 47 countries on the European continent. The city with the most inhabitants is found in the Mediterranean region.
Which is the largest city in Europe?
Anyone who deals with the various major cities in Europe will quickly notice how different and exciting they can be from country to country. It is often the respective capital that is the largest city of a state - the situation is different in Turkey. Here it is not Ankara, but the metropolis of Istanbul. And not only that: Istanbul is even the largest city in Europe!
How many people live in Istanbul?
With almost 16 million inhabitants, the city has earned the title of the largest city in Europe. As of 31. December 2022 15,907,951 people live in the Turkish metropolis. For comparison: Berlin has only 3,735,164 inhabitants. This means that the entire population of Berlin would find accommodation in Istanbul more than four times.
Interesting facts about Istanbul
In addition to an astonishingly high number of inhabitants, Istanbul can also score with many other exciting properties. The history of the city goes back to antiquity. When the city in 660 BC. Chr. was founded, she still wore the names Byzantium. In the past, Istanbul was also known as Byzantium or Constantinople and was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
The historic side of the city can still be seen today in the Greco-Roman buildings that characterize the cityscape alongside modern buildings. Because of its uniqueness, parts of Istanbul's old town were even declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
Today, the metropolis as the cultural center of Turkey attracts more than 14 million tourists every year. In 2010 it was also awarded the title of European Capital of Culture.
Likelihood of confusion – The largest city in the EU
Danger: Europe is not to be equated with the European Union! If you ask about the largest city in the European Union (EU), the answer is different - because Turkey is not a member of the EU. Within the European Union, the French capital, Paris, holds the title of the largest city. Although just over 2 million people live in the city itself, there are more than 12.5 million in the greater Paris area.
