There are many reasons.
The friendliness of the Turkish people is legendary.
Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents.
The fact that it has a good public transportation system is important to me both as a way to mix with local people going about their lives, and to make exploration easy.
Turkey played a significant role in the early days of Christianity when Paul visited Ephesus and Cappodocia. Cappodocia is full of unimaginable caves, some even containing large churches. This is a place Christians and then other groups hid when they were being persecuted. Now even many hotels are in these caves. There is a house in Ephesus where Mary is believed to have lived.
It is a Muslim country and most of us know so little about Islam. I wanted to see and hear and meet Muslims of a similar spectrum to that we experience of Christians here. I grew up hearing church bells ring throughout my city. Until last summer I lived near a church whose bells rang each quarter hour. Now we have a beautiful Mosque in Boston that is not allowed to have the call to prayer heard outside the Mosque. In Istanbul I will hear it all over the city as i hear church bells here. These are my sisters and brothers and i want to meet them in their daily lives.
When I visit a new country I always expect to be amazed. I am expectant but don't know ahead what will prove to be most significant for me. I try to go with open mind and heart.
Istanbul - formerly Constantinople - before that Byzantium - these names reflect it's rich history.
For a brief history see http://geography.about.com/od/specificplacesofinterest/a/istanbul.htm
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