ABSTRACT
Formula 1 (F1), with the construction of the track it required, the triggering of further investment it induced within the surrounding location and the numbers of local and foreign participants attending, is the biggest mega-event held in Istanbul to date. As a result of its strategically important location on the Bosporus, Istanbul has played an important role throughout its history. It was the capital of the eastern part of the Roman Empire and of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. The city brings together different religions and cultures as well as being the site of their construction and integration. In terms of socio-economic development, Istanbul is Turkey’s leading city and is in the process of becoming a post-industrial international business centre, it has also become a city that hosts global events.
