After we analized the statistics of visits to ScoprireIstanbul, we noticed that many people come to our website by typing the following keywords on Google: “Istanbul dangerous”, “Istanbul is not safe”, “Istanbul areas to avoid”.

Frankly, it makes us smile a lot. In the general collective, it seems like Istanbul is seen as a sort of Dante’s Inferno. Maybe “Fatih the Conqueror” is still rampant in the streets of Sultanahmet as 500 years ago, with his retinue of soldiers with mustaches and scimitars. Creepy stuff.

The reality is quite different. I have been to Istanbul many times, I lived there, I have been even to peripheral areas of the city, but I’ve never ever felt the slightest sense of danger. Just never, neither night nor day. I’ve experienced the danger feel several times when I was walking in some Italian cities, though…

However, if my personal feelings (which are confirmed by all my foreign friends who have lived or visited here) are not enough, we may find solace in an official study called “International Crime Victims Survey”. The study says that Istanbul has the absolute lowest assaults rate among all the European capitals. The term “aggression” is going to be understood as murders, robberies, pickpocketing, rapes, etc, etc.

I believe that all this is enough to define Istanbul as a safe city, so if you arrived at this page to find some reassurance for your trip, you’ve found it. No more fears now, you can comfortably take a look at the other sections of the blog to plan your vacation better.

The only serious danger you can face in Istanbul is to fall in love… The city itself or some sweet creature from this place. The real problems will begin at this very point… You have been warned!