Istanbul, with a population of 14,968,000 (2019) people is the largest city of Turkey and the 5th most crowded city in the world. The European side of the city is where 64.9% of its inhabitants live, the rest, 35.1%, live on the Anatolian side. It is also one of the most visited cities in the world by tourists, it hosted nearly 77 million foreign tourists in the last decade. Istanbul's population is also very diverse, both ethnically and religiously. Being an ancient city it houses people from every background and denomination.
Istanbul houses more than 14 million people, this population is dispersed throughout the cities counties. Some of the counties of Istanbul are more populated than some cities in the world, of course not all counties are immensely crowded like some but in order to house the population some of them had to become larger than some cities. The dispersion of the population by county is as follows from the most populated to least populated;
- Esenyurt: 954.579
- Kucukcekmece: 792.821
- Bagcilar: 745.125
- Pendik: 711.894
- Umraniye: 710.280
- Bahcelievler: 611.059
- Sultangazi: 534.565
- Uskudar: 531.825
- Maltepe: 513.316
- Gaziosmanpasa: 491.962
- Kadikoy: 482.713
- Kartal: 470.676
- Basaksehir: 460.259
- Esenler: 450.344
- Avcılar: 448.882
- Kagithane: 448.025
- Fatih: 443.090
- Sancaktepe: 436.733
- Atasehir: 425.094
- Eyupsultan: 400.513
- Beylikduzu: 352.412
- Sariyer: 347.214
- Sultanbeyli: 336.021
- Zeytinburnu: 293.574
- Gungoren: 289.441
- Arnavutkoy: 282.488
- Sisli: 279.817
- Bayrampasa: 274.735
- Tuzla: 267.400
- Cekmekoy: 264.508
- Buyukcekmece: 254.103
- Beykoz: 248.260
- Beyoglu: 233.323
- Bakırkoy: 229.239
- Silivri: 193.680
- Besiktas: 182.649
- Catalca: 73.718
- Sile: 37.692
- Adalar: 15.238
As you can deduct by that list, some of the counties of Istanbul are more populated than many cities of the world and given the area that Istanbul is established on, it would be safe to make the deduction that Istanbul is one of the most populated and dense cities in the world. Extending between Europe and Asia so it is no wonder that, being situated at the crossroads of many ancient trade routes, maritime or land, and this dense population is consisted of many diverse ethnicities, with some who can trace their roots back centuries.
What is the reason for the population diversity in Istanbul? The first settlement in the piece of land that is known as Istanbul today was established 3000 years ago by the Thracians, it was called Lygos back at that time. Since then, Istanbul became one of the cities that empires and kingdoms most sought to conquer. It became a capital for 3 major empires in the past Ottoman Empire, Byzantine Empire and the Roman Empire which of course over time lead to the populace of the town becoming diversified.
The Diversity
Today, Istanbul's population consists of more than 15.5 million people. The majority of the population consists of Turks, about 70 percent, the largest minority are the Kurds. The real "natives" of Istanbul are considered the Greeks however, one of the smallest minorities. They are the decedents of the Byzantine Empire. Most of them are Orthodox Christians that are the congregation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul, which dates back to the Byzantine Empire. The Patriarchate once was the center for the Orthodoxes of the world, which makes Istanbul the Vatican of the Orthodox denomination in a matter of speech. Here's a list of the ethnicities in Istanbul;
- Turks: 10.5 Million
- Kurds: 3.25 Million
- Armenians: 40.000
- Sephardic Jews: 20.000
- Greeks: 2000
- The rest of the population consists of other Anatolian ethnic minorities such as Georgians, Lazs, Turkmens, etc.
The major part of Istanbul's population consists of Muslims that include the majority of Turks and the biggest minority of the Kurds. The reason why these people are not considered the "natives" is that 11 million people emigrated from every part of Turkey to Istanbul in the last 50 years. The population of Istanbul by Religious denomination can be listed as below:
- Muslims: 13 Million
- Christians: 150.000
- Jews: 20.000
- And about 10% of the population is not part of any religion, they nominate themselves as Atheists and Theists.
Before the difference between the population of the Muslims and the Orthodoxes was not so widely spread to consider either a minority or minority. In order to better understand how the city was roughly balanced, so to say, in demographics, we need to look at how a city's borders evolve throughout time. When the city was still newly established as the capital of the Ottoman Empire after the conquest, the city was considered to be the space within the fortifications, but after receiving the influx of people to the new capital the city had to grow. With time the Anatolian side of the Bosporus became to be considered part of the city instead of a settlement across the city, then the inequality in the religious demographic was well and truly clear.
There are other minorities in Istanbul with diverse denominations. After the Greeks, the Armenians, and the Sephardi Jews are the foremost minorities in Istanbul. The Armenians in Istanbul originate mostly from the territories that belonged to the ancient Kingdom of Armenia, they emigrated to Istanbul from the different parts of the Ottoman Empire and settle there until this day. They follow the council of the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul. The Sephardi Jews of Istanbul originate from Spain, they are decedents of those who fled from the Spanish Inquisition.
Where Do The People Live?
The minorities of Istanbul are dispersed in the diverse part of the city. The different ethnicities, religious denominations prefer to live close to one another in order to form communities, this is the case in every major city of the world, you just have to Google all the different Chinatowns that exist.
The Greeks
Of course, the Greeks of Istanbul are not all situated in one or two locations but as I stated previously they formed communities, and such communities generally form around a religious center important to the people forming it. Fener Ecumenical Patriarchate is one such place that is at the core of the Greek community formed in Fener. In Fener, you can see the architectural differences of the historical buildings from the building in other neighborhoods of the city.
Another neighborhood where the Christians formed a sizeable community is Balat. Here the Greeks and the Bulgarians live together forming an amalgam of ethnicities that are close to each other.
The Jews
The historic place of the Jews in Istanbul begins after the conquest of the city by the Turks, they fled the Spanish Inquisition, at the time Spain had one of the largest Jewish populations in the world.
Galata
With its widest borders, Galata is shown as the region that covers the hill where Kasimpasa and Galatasaray-Beyoglu are located, stretching from the northern coast of the Golden Horn to the beginning of the Bosporus on the Rumeli side. Galata, dating back to the 11th century; It is a district where Jews such as Balat and Hasköy are densely located. In the 11th century, the Byzantine Empire forced the Jews to reside in Galata-Pera (Beyoglu). As of this date, Galata has become an important center for Jews. The Jews continued to live in Galata, where the majority of the population was composed of Greeks, Armenians, and Europeans. Galata, where about 500 Jewish families lived in the 19th century, became an important Jewish settlement with Jewish families from other districts. This situation continued until the 1950s then, the Jewish population in this region rapidly decreased as the Jews migrated to Israel, and those with good economic status preferred neighborhoods such as Nisantasi, Taksim and Sisli. However, due to the fact that it was a dense Jewish settlement in its time, it still continues to exist with many synagogues and education institutions in this district.
Hasköy
Hasköy (Picridion) is one of the oldest Jewish districts. During the II. Crusade, a Jewish neighborhood in Hasköy is mentioned. The Jews brought from Thessaloniki and Safed after the conquest of Istanbul were settled in Hasköy. Jews who were homeless after the Bahçekapı fire on May 20, 1606, were also transferred to Hasköy. From this date on in Istanbul
After many fires, Jews migrated to this area (1660–1715–1756). Until the 19th century, Hasköy has been an important settlement for Jews. It is said that in this century, there was approximately 25 thousand Jewish population in Hasköy. However, the families who progressed from the economical perspective towards the end of the century started to move to Beyoglu. With the establishment of the State of Israel and the attraction of the region, migrations have continued to increase since the 1940s. Today, there are about 100 elderly and 2-3 tradesmen in need of care in the elders' dormitory. In this region, the Kalha Kados Kusta Bene Mikra Synagogue of Karay Jews, and the Mahalem Synagogue of Rabbinic Jews, which was restored and opened on June 6, 1994, are still active. In addition, there is a Jewish Cemetery that covers a very large area in Ciksalin District.
The Density
- Zeytintepe 96.000 sq/mi
- Fatih 89.500 sq/mi
- Fevzi Cakmak 86.603 sq/mi
- Findikli 61.192 sq/mi
The population in Istanbul is not only one of the most diverse in the world but also one of the densest too. The urban density is 15,290 people per square mile. While the southern coasts of Istanbul and the Bosphorus region are the regions with the highest population density, the lowest ones are the northern coast. The Zeytintepe neighborhood of Zeytinburnu is the most densely populated neighborhood of Istanbul, with a population of over 96 thousand per sq/mi. This is followed by the Fatih neighborhood of Esenler and the Marshal Fevzi Çakmak neighborhoods of Güngören, with a population of 89,500 and 86,603, respectively. The neighborhood with the highest population density on the Anatolian side is the Fındıklı neighborhood of Maltepe. Fındıklı neighborhood is in the 85th place in the general order. All 3 neighborhoods with the lowest density are located in Şile. These neighborhoods are only 5,6 and 6 people per km2 in Esenceli, Avcıkoru, and Darlık respectively. The Fatih neighborhood of Çatalca is the lowest density neighborhood of the European side with a population of 7 people per sq/mi.
The Age And Gender Demographics
Istanbul, which had a population of 1 million 78 thousand people in 1945, reached 1 million 533 thousand in 1955 with a population explosion after 1950 it reached 7 million 309 thousand in 1990 with an increase of 40-50 thousand in the following periods. The population reached 9 million 199 thousand in 1997. In the 2000 census, it was a city with a population of over 10 million.
In Istanbul, which has received 11 million immigrants in the last fifty years, 82 citizens from Turkey live together. Turkey's mosaic of people city; From Sivas to Trabzon, from Iğdır to Çanakkale, 12 million 573 thousand 836 people live here from all over the country. Only 2 million 167 thousand 572 of them are registered in the Istanbul population. The reason for the high number of Istanbul residents is that many citizens register their children in the Istanbul register to easily carry out their governmental transactions smoother. Sivas ranks first among the cities that migrated to the city. While 681 thousand 214 Sivas live in the city, Kastamonu follows with 516 thousand 556 people. The number of Sivas, Sinop, Bayburt, Ardahan, Erzincan, Giresun and Kastamonu people living in Istanbul is more than the population of their own provinces.
Istanbul's male population is 7,790,256 , Istanbul's female population is 7,729,011. The average lifespan of the Istanbulites is 78,7 which can be considered higher than the rest of the world and can be counted as an average lifespan if compared to developed countries of the world. The average age of the Istanbulites is 33,07 so it would be fair to say that Istanbul is generally a young city.
Istanbul has 39 districts, 14 of which are on the Anatolian side and 25 on the European side. When the 39 districts of Istanbul are examined according to the data of 2017 in terms of population number, Esenyurt (846.492) has the highest population and Adalar (14.907) has the lowest population. 64.72% (9,726,373) of the inhabitants of Istanbul are on the European side; 35.28% (5.302.858) reside on the Anatolian Side. Istanbul is the 5th most populous city in the world in the list of most populated cities according to its population.
The city structure and shape of Istanbul are constantly changing. During the Greek, Roman and Byzantine periods, significant regeneration and growth occurred in the historical peninsula of Constantinople, Galata (Pera, later called Beyoğlu), Chalcedon (Kadıköy) and Hrisopolis (Üsküdar). In ancient times, all districts of current Istanbul were independent cities. Today, Istanbul can be accepted as the metropolitan state of Constantinople because the city has been expanded and renewed since then.
The very high structures that have been built in recent years have been built considering the rapid growth of the population. Due to the rapid expansion of the city, housing usually proceeds out of the city. The city's highest multi-story offices and residences are gathered in Levent, Mecidiyeköy and Maslak districts on the European Side. Numerous shopping centers have been gathered in Levent and Etiler. An important part of Turkey's largest companies and banks are located in this region.
Starting from the second half of the 20th century, the construction of summer houses and luxury mansions near the sea has been accelerated, especially on the Anatolian side. Bağdat Caddesi in the district of Kadıköy has many shopping centers and restaurants with its width and length. This has contributed positively to the development of the region in these developments. This is also the biggest factor of the population growth in recent years with migration from Anatolia. Today, 64.9% of the people of Istanbul live on the European Side.
Istanbul is also one of the cities that attract tourists by the millions, the city hosted more than 77 million tourists in the last decade, that means that more than the population of Turkey visited its largest city. Here are the numbers of tourists that visited Istanbul by years:
- 2015: 11.825 Million
- 2016: 7.860 Million
- 2017: 9.120 Million
- 2018: 13.4 Million
- 2019: 14 Million
Disasters That The Populace Experienced in History
There are earthquakes in the history of the city, where great destructions were experienced. The most important of these is the Great Istanbul Earthquake that occurred in 1509. The buildings were almost completely damaged in this earthquake where 10,000 people died. Another earthquake that marked the history of Istanbul occurred in 1766. The effect of the earthquake was so great that the structures that have become the symbol of Istanbul such as Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, Eyüp Sultan Mosque and Grand Bazaar have suffered great damage. Although important earthquakes occurred in Istanbul after 1766, the earthquake in 1999 was the earthquake in 1999. Almost all the structures were damaged in the earthquake in which 18 thousand people died.
All in all, Istanbul is a very ancient, densely populated, historical, diversified metropolitan center at the crossing point from Asia to Europe, many people over millennia have crossed and settled here. If you want to experience the harmonical crowd that gives life to this great city you should come to visit and in order to explore maybe get lost is some of the old Greek neighborhoods or just stand between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque in order to better grasp the ages that modified and formed the city that is today.