First Snow of the Winter in Istanbul

December is one of the coldest months in İstanbul. It is very likely that you will have some rain, chilly winds and maybe even snow. This is the surprising part: heavy snow started falling on İstanbul’s outskirts on 11 December 2013 and continued until 13 December 2013. Actually this was the first snow of the winter in İstanbul and the city has been affected by the snow for three days. Everywhere was covered by the snow which created wonderful scenes from different views of İstanbul.

İstanbul, one of largest cities in the world with a population approximately 14 million, is located between two continents. The city is divided by Boğaziçi (Bosphorus) Strait and extends both on the European and on the Asian (Anatolia) sides of the Boğaziçi (Bosphorus). Since İstanbul is  a transcontinental city, straddling Boğaziçi (Bosphorus) in northwestern Turkey, between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, the city receives air streams from Balkans, Siberia and Marmara.

İstanbul is also one of the most significant cities in history. Considering its long history, İstanbul has been a contact point of several civilizations and has served as the capital of four empires; respectively Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, the Latin Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. İstanbul was also selected as joint European Capital of Culture for 2010. The historic areas of Istanbul were partially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Istanbul Bosphorus under snow. Seen from Bogazici University campus (European side)

Rumelihisari under snow in December 2013

General information about the climate in İstanbul is as follows: İstanbul has a transitional climate between a temperate Mediterranean climate and a temperate Oceanic climate with warm to hot, moderately dry summers and cool to cold, wet winters since it is bordering the Sea of Marmara which connects the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea. Generally speaking winters are cold, with low temperatures averaging 4–5 °C (39–41 °F). Snow showers are rare (luckily we had one between 11- 13 December ), but it rains frequently. Starting from December till March temperatures are around 5-10 °C in İstanbul. Snow and strong winds negatively affect city transportation especially ferries. People prefer shopping malls or covered areas during colder season.

Approximately 11.6 million foreign visitors arrived in İstanbul in 2012 and tourists usually prefer summer and spring times. However during winter, sights are less uncrowded, prices for hotels are lower. After seeing the pictures of İstanbul in snow; it would be nice experience to try to visit İstanbul during winter times.