User:Mehman/Test

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Application

Mehman submits this application for the Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2024 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Historical site of Istanbul

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, the country's economic, cultural, and historical center. The city has a population of over 15 million residents, comprising 19% of the population of Turkey. Istanbul is the most populous European city and the world's 15th-largest city.

Istanbul, The City That Lies On Two Continents

One of the most dynamic cities in the world, Istanbul is literally a metropolis. Istanbul is a transcontinental city straddling two continents by its inland sea, Marmara. The city is divided into four regions and has a natural harbor, the Golden Horn. One of the world’s busiest waterways, the Bosphorus, is situated in northwestern Turkey between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Connecting the two seas, Bosphorus also separates Istanbul into two sides known as the European side and the Asian side.

Over 13.4 million foreign visitors came to Istanbul in 2018, eight years after it was named a European Capital of Culture, making it the world's eighth most visited city. Hosting two international airports (Istanbul Airport on the European side and Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the Asian side), Istanbul is reachable by most of the major international airlines and charters. The city is from 2 to 5 hours from European destinations and 9 hours from North America.

As the turnaround port for many cruise ships, Istanbul is mostly reached from the Aegean Sea. Besides, GalataPort is also used as a stopping point for a number of international ferries. The Bosphorus is an important passageway for international cargo ships and tankers and a crucial stopping place for Mediterranean cruises.

Istanbul has two railway stations: Haydarpaşa on the Asian side and Sirkeci on the European side. The city can be reached from Belgrade (via Balkan Express), Bucharest (via Bosphorus Express), Budapest(via TransBalkan Express), Kishinev (via Prietenia Express), Pythion (via IC 90/91) and Munich (via IstanbulExpress).

Istanbul has an extensive road network requiring Green Card and appropriate insurance for coming from Europe. Speed ​​limits are 120 km/h for motorways, 90 km/h on main roads and 50 km/h in towns. The city's international bus terminal is about ten kilometers from the city center and serves all international and domestic lines.

Istanbul has previously hosted such international events as Eurovision (2004), 2005 UEFA Champions League Final, EuroBasket Women 2005, 2009 UEFA Cup Final, 2010 FIBA World Championship, EuroBasket 2001 & 2017 (finals), WTA Tour Championships 2011, 2012 & 2013, 2012 Chess Olympiad, 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, 2012 FINA World Swimming Championships, Euroleague Final Four 2012 & 2017, 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women, 2019 UEFA Super Cup, Formula 1 Turkish Grand Prix (9 times) International Istanbul Jazz festival (every year) and 2023 UEFA Champions League Final will play in Istanbul.

Summary

Proposed event venue

Istanbul is home to the largest convention centers in the country and university campuses which are good candidates to host Wikimania including below:

• Grand Cevahir is located in the Şişli district of Istanbul and is a very easily accessible place to the main attractions of the city. It’s the only venue having a hotel, shopping center, and congress center under the same roof. The 1013-person capacity auditorium is the largest hotel-auditorium of Turkey. In addition to the auditorium, the venue has 22 meeting rooms. Link

Wikimedians in front of Uskudar University

• Uskudar University is located in a very central place on the Asian side of Istanbul; surrounded by hotels, shopping places; and easily accessible by public transportation. Previously hosted several Wikimedia events; has 4 conference halls, many classrooms for parallelmultiple tracks of events and meetings; garden and sports hall available forplenary sessions. Link

• Bilgi University Santral Istanbul Campus is a unique place located by the Golden Horn. The campus is not only the home of some faculty and departments of Bilgi University but also an art and culture center attracting outside visitors to its museum and art gallery serving in a historically renovated power plant. The venue also houses some dining, refreshment and entertainment facilities. Link

Proposed accommodation

Istanbul has more than 2300 accommodation facilities having a total of around 232.000 bed capacity. In terms of room number, the majority of the hotels in Istanbul are located on the European side. Accommodation options in Istanbul include a range of facilities from the super modern deluxe category hotels and holiday complexes to the affordable ones.

Logistics

Organising team

• Mehman Ibragimov (Budget, WMF liaison)
• Zafer (Logistics)
• HakanIST (Venue coordinator)
• Basak (Program)
• Kurmanbek (Social Media and Design)
• Adem (Coordination)