With some 15 million inhabitants, Istanbul is one of the world's megacities
With some 15 million inhabitants, Istanbul is one of the world's megacities
TerraSAR-X provides a detailed view of the city from over 500 kilometres up. The airport can be seen to the west – the taxiways and runways reflect the radar signals away from the satellite, causing the asphalt surfaces to appear as black lines. There is dense housing where yellow is predominates. The construction of the Bosphorus bridges has been a primary driver for the growth of the city. The urbanisation snakes along the Bosphorus right down to the Black Sea. In the city itself, only a few areas remain undeveloped and are thus shown in green. This is the case on the headland where the Golden Horn, an inlet, extends into the European part. Having an exclusive panoramic view of the city and few neighbours, this is where the Topkapi Palace, the former residence and seat of government of the Sultans, is located. Even the ships that sail on the Sea of Marmara or the Bosphorus do not escape the 'radar eyes' of TerraSAR-X.
