ITU Faculty of Architecture will be hosting the Design and Cinema 05 Conference, 06-09 April 2005 at ITU Taskisla as in the first conference. ITU Faculty of Architecture is located within the historical Taskisla building in Beyoglu district. Taskisla is a 150 year old building, five minutes walking distance from the Taksim Square. This city campus has easy access to the different accommodation, recreation and transportation facilities which provides opportunity to visit cultural and historical sites of Istanbul. For the guests who would be interested, city tours and social activities will be organized.

          Istanbul, a capital of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, is today regarded as a cosmopolitan city. It attracts the attention of the entire world not only with its natural beauty, but with its historical heritage from the cultures that it has been a home for.

          While Istanbul is a bridge between Asia and Europe, each side of the Bosphorus can be seen as open air museums of the two continents and their two very different cultures. The history of Istanbul that starts in Chalcedon (Kadiköy) in 700 B.C. and continues with the Byzantines arriving on the opposite shore, to an area that today is known as the historical peninsula. In 330 the city is named Constantinople and becomes the capital of the Roman Empire. After the division of the Great Roman Empire, the city stays as the capital city of the Eastern Roman Empire until it is taken over by the Ottomans in 1453. This conquest marks the start of a new social and cultural era. In the city where so many different religions and cultures started to live together, the many ethnic and religious backgrounds are still visible.

          Istanbul s oldest settlement area, the Sultanahmet square and its surroundings; housing many of the most important structures of the Byzantines, is considered unique. With its fascinating appearance and size, Hagia Sofia; the religious center of the Roman Empire is a magnificent structure that has influenced the following architecture. Positioned next to Hagia Sofia is the Hippodrome, which housed the important social events of the time. After their conquest of Istanbul, the Ottomans built Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque), a building as equally magnificent as Hagia Sofia and helped the important spiritual character of the area to continue. Topkapı; the palace of the Ottoman Empire was a home to the dynasty for 400 years, as it grew in an organic way. Nearby there is also one of the oldest churches in Istanbul; The Hagia Eirene church, which was used as the patriarchate before Hagia Sofia. The Archeology museum situated next to the Topkapı Palace is regarded as one of the best museums in the world and holds items dating from ancient Egyptian to recent times from lands and civilizations that have been under Ottoman rule. Out of the many other museums of Istanbul, another that should be seen is The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. With these and all of the other of its monumental buildings, the historical peninsula is at the top of every visitor s list.

          In a city that never sleeps, Beyoğlu is the center of entertainment, culture and art. In the mystical atmosphere created by all these events happening in historical buildings, you have the chance of discovering something new at any time in any corner of Beyoğlu.

          Boshoprus, that has been a subject for many legends, songs, literature and films, has a 33 km coastline filled with historical buildings, palaces and pavilions, which create an extraordinary silhouette. Apart from its geographical status, this is the aspect that gives Istanbul a special place amongst other cosmopolitan cities. One of the most important structures of this panorama is the 19th century built Dolmabahçe Palace; which became the home for the Ottoman Dynasty after Topkapi. Yıldız, Çırağan and Beylerbeyi Palaces are also important architectural examples from this panorama. The districts situated along the banks of the Bosphorus; Ortaköy, Arnavutköy, Emirgan, İstinye and Yeniköy on the European side and Kadıköy, Üsküdar, Kuzguncuk, Çengelköy and Kanlıca on the Asian side, enrich the tapestry of Istanbul with their individual characteristics.

          The results of the migrations from all over Turkey and the world throughout history and the effects of so many cultures living side by side has contributed to Istanbul earning its cosmopolitan identity. The secret of Istanbul is that it allows each culture to blend its soul and essence with different lifestyles. The language of Istanbul that is born from the richness of these cultures is waiting to be discovered.