Addis Ababa vs Istanbul

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Addis Ababa (Amharic: አዲስ አበባ, Addis Abäba IPA: [adˈdis ˈabəba] (listen),"new flower"), also known as Finfinne(Oromo: Finfinne"natural spring"), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. According to the 2007 census, the town has a population of 2,739,551 inhabitants. As a chartered city, Addis Ababa also functions as the capital city of the Oromia Region. It is where the African Union is headquartered and where its predecessor the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was established. It also hosts the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in addition to various other continental and worldwide organizations.

Addis Ababa is therefore often referred to as"the political capital of Africa" for its historical, diplomatic and political significance for the continent. The town lies a few miles west of the East African Rift which divides Ethiopia into 2, involving the Nubian Plate and the Somali Plate. The city is surrounded by the Special Zone of Oromia and inhabited by people from different areas of Ethiopia. It is home to Addis Ababa University.

Source: Wikipedia

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Istanbul ( ISS-tan-BUUL, also US: ISS-tan-buul; Turkish: İstanbul [isˈtanbuɫ] (listen)), formerly known as Byzantium and Constantinople, is the most populous city in Turkey and the country's economic, cultural and historical center. Istanbul is a transcontinental town in Eurasia, straddling the Bosporus strait (which separates Europe and Asia) between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Its commercial and historical center lies on the European side and about a third of its population lives in suburbs on the Asian side of the Bosporus. With a total population of around fifteen million residents in its metropolitan area, Istanbul is one of the world's largest cities by population, standing as the world's fifteenth-largest town and the largest city in Europe. The town is the administrative center of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (coterminous with Istanbul Province). Founded under the name of Byzantion (Βυζάντιον) on the Sarayburnu promontory around 660 BCE, the city grew in size and influence, becoming one of the most significant cities in history. After its reestablishment as Constantinople in 330 CE, it served as an imperial capital for almost sixteen centuries, during the Roman/Byzantine (330--1204), Latin (1204--1261), Byzantine (1261--1453) and Ottoman (1453--1922) empires. It had been instrumental in the progress of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times, before the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 CE and transformed it into an Islamic stronghold and the seat of the Ottoman Caliphate. Under the name Constantinople it was the Ottoman capital until 1923. The capital was then moved to Ankara and the city was renamed Istanbul. The town held the strategic position between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

It was also on the historical Silk Road. It controlled railroad networks between the Balkans and the Middle East and was the only sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. In 1923, after the Turkish War of Independence, Ankara was chosen as the new Turkish capital, and the town's name was changed to Istanbul. Nonetheless, the city maintained its prominence in cultural and geopolitical affairs. The population of this city has increased tenfold since the 1950s, as migrants from around Anatolia have moved in and town limits have expanded to accommodate them. Arts, music, film, and cultural festivals were established near the end of the 20th century and continue to be hosted by the city now. Infrastructure improvements have generated a complex transportation network in town. Over 13.4 million foreign visitors came to Istanbul in 2018, eight years after it had been called a European Capital of Culture, which makes the city the world's fifth-most popular tourist destination. The city's biggest attraction is its historical center, partially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its cultural and entertainment hub is located across town's natural harbor, the Golden Horn, in the Beyoğlu district. Considered an Alpha - international city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, it hosts the headquarters of many Turkish companies and media outlets and accounts for more than a quarter of the nation's gross domestic product. Hoping to capitalize on its revitalization and rapid growth, Istanbul has bid for the Summer Olympics five times in twenty years.

Source: Wikipedia