Istanbul is more than just a metropolis – it is a transition, a contradiction, a poem of stone and water.

This is where Europe and Asia meet, history and the present.

This is also where many cyclists meet on their way to or from Asia, but also those for whom Istanbul is simply the destination of a journey.

When we planned to end our journey in Istanbul, the idea was always to finish at Sultanahmet Square (Sultanahmet Meydanı).

Many stories were told about how dangerous it is to cycle in Istanbul. But we didn’t want to be dissuaded from our idea.

That is why we are documenting our journey and the routes that others have taken here:

• The Western Route (blue) by Friederike und Lutz

• The Southern Route (red) by Mareike und David