Athens
39 km²
Istanbul
5,461 km²
Greece
Turkey
Area Comparison
Athens is 140.0x smaller than Istanbul
Population Comparison
Athens has 24.2x fewer people than Istanbul
In terms of area, Istanbul is 140.0x the size of Athens. Istanbul spans 5,461 km² (2,109 mi²) while Athens covers 39 km² (15 mi²) — a difference of 5,422 km². You could fit Athens inside Istanbul approximately 140 times.
To put Athens's size in perspective, its area of 39 km² is about 1.5x smaller than Manhattan. Meanwhile, Istanbul at 5,461 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Shanghai.
Picture Athens another way: its area is large enough to fit about 5,500 American football fields, 80 times the area of Vatican City, or 19 times the area of Monaco. Istanbul works out to about 765,000 American football fields, 92 times the area of Manhattan, or 52 times the area of Paris.
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica region and is the southernmost capital on the European mainland. With its urban area's population numbering over 3.6 million, it is the eighth-largest urban area in the European Union (EU).
Known as "Cradle of Western Civilization", Athens covers 39 km² with a population of 0.6 million. The city was founded around 7000 BC. Athens is known for Acropolis of Athens, Parthenon, Plaka neighborhood, among other attractions.
Athens is the southernmost capital on the European mainland and capital of the Attica region.
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical center. With a population of over 15 million, it is home to 18% of the population of Turkey. Istanbul is among the largest cities in Europe and in the world by population. It is a city on two continents; about two-thirds of its population live in Europe and the rest in Asia.
Also known as "City on Two Continents", Istanbul has an area of 5,461 km² and is home to 15.5 million people. It was founded around 660 BC. Visitors come for Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Istanbul Metro.
Istanbul is one of the only major cities to span two continents, with about two-thirds of its population living in Europe and the rest in Asia.
Athens has a population density of 16,410 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Istanbul, with 2,831 people per km², is a moderately dense city. Athens is dramatically more crowded, with 5.8x the population density.
Athens has a Mediterranean climate climate while Istanbul experiences oceanic conditions.
Size Ratio
Athens fits inside Istanbul ~140 times
Density Gap
Athens is 5.8x more densely populated
History
Athens is ~6,340 years older
Athens covers 39 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Manila (43 km²), Tel Aviv (52 km²), Zurich (88 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
Istanbul covers 5,461 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Shanghai (6,341 km²), Perth (6,417 km²), Dubai (4,114 km²), Guangzhou (7,434 km²), or Karachi (3,527 km²).
The straight-line distance from Athens to Istanbul is 562 km (349 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 10m.
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