Istanbul
5,461 km²
Sydney
12,368 km²
Turkey
Australia
Area Comparison
Istanbul is 2.3x smaller than Sydney
Population Comparison
Istanbul has 2.9x more people than Sydney
Yes — Sydney is 2.3x larger than Istanbul by area. Sydney spans 12,368 km² (4,775 mi²) while Istanbul covers 5,461 km² (2,109 mi²) — a difference of 6,907 km². You could fit Istanbul inside Sydney approximately 2 times.
To put Istanbul's size in perspective, its area of 5,461 km² is about 1.2x smaller than Shanghai. Meanwhile, Sydney at 12,368 km² is about 2.0x the size of Shanghai.
Picture Istanbul another way: its area is large enough to fit about 765,000 American football fields, 92 times the area of Manhattan, or 52 times the area of Paris. Sydney works out to about 1,700,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Paris, or 100 times the area of San Francisco.
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.
Known as "City on Two Continents", Istanbul covers 5,461 km² with a population of 15.5 million. The city was founded around 660 BC. Istanbul is known for Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is 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.
Sydney is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and is the most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west, and about 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the Hawkesbury River in the north and north-west, to the Royal National Park and Macarthur in the south and south-west.
Often called "Sydneysiders", Sydney has an area of 12,368 km² and is home to 5.3 million people. Its history stretches back to 1788. Visitors come for Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Sydney Trains.
Sydney stretches roughly 80 km from the Pacific Ocean in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west.
Looking beyond city limits, the Sydney metropolitan area covers 12,368 km², which is 2.3x larger than greater Istanbul at 5,461 km². The Istanbul metro area is also more populous, with 15.5 million people compared to 5.3 million.
Istanbul has a population density of 2,831 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Sydney, with 429 people per km², is a low-density, sprawling urban area. Istanbul is dramatically more crowded, with 6.6x the population density.
This comparison spans continents — Istanbul in Europe versus Sydney in Oceania. Despite the geographic distance, comparing their sizes reveals surprising insights about how cities grow worldwide.
Istanbul has a oceanic climate while Sydney experiences humid subtropical conditions. When it's noon in Sydney, it's 5:00 AM in Istanbul — a 7-hour time difference.
Size Ratio
Istanbul fits inside Sydney ~2 times
Density Gap
Istanbul is 6.6x more densely populated
Time Difference
7 hours apart
History
Istanbul is ~2,448 years older
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).
Sydney covers 12,368 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chengdu (14,378 km²), Xi'an (10,097 km²), Melbourne (9,993 km²), Brisbane (15,826 km²), or Beijing (16,411 km²).
The straight-line distance from Istanbul to Sydney is 14,946 km (9,287 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~18h 5m.
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