Istanbul Levent: the mad rush of the Bosphorus

Cultural, lively, festive: Turkey's business capital continues to attract foreign investors as well as tourists from all over the world. The proof: off to an excellent start, 2011 is set to end with a 15 % increase in the number of foreign visitors.

But the Istanbul craze is not just a story of capital movements and tourist flows. At the crossroads of two continents and at the point of balance between tradition and modernity, Istanbul has become the showcase of a "Turkish model" that countries in the Maghreb and the Middle East are seeking to emulate in their search for attractive future prospects. The model has its business epicentre just north of the Golden Horn, on the European side of Istanbul. It is here, in Levent, along the Büyükdere Caddesi artery, or in the neighbouring district of Maslak, that the headquarters of national giants in finance and industry such as Türkiye Is Bankas?, Akbank, Yapi Kredi Bank or Eczac?bas? and Sabanci Holdings are grouped together. This is also where foreign companies have made their home, with the financial sector topping the list, as well as Google, Pepsi, Roche and, on the French side, Danone, Michelin and Sanofi-Aventis. This list is by no means exhaustive, and is certainly far from complete...