East meets west, ancient meets modern, water meets land: Istanbul is undoubtedly one of the most unique cities on the Formula One calendar. The domes and minarets of the old town ooze history, taking the discerning traveller back to the days of the Ottoman Empire and Constantinople. Modern Istanbul, meanwhile, is a diverse and 'good-time' city. On the European side of the Bosphorus Strait there are bars, clubs and all the western shops you’d expect to see in London or New York. On the Asian side there are markets and more indigenous enterprises and it is here that the Istanbul Park circuit is located.