The 2004 Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Abdi Ipekci Sport Center in Istanbul. The venue in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul welcomed thousands of fans to each of the rehearsals and actual contests over the Eurovision weeks in 2004. The venue lies midway between the main international airport and is around 15km from the city centre. The Istanbul arena is named after Adbi Ipeki, a Turkish newspaper editor who was assassinated in 1979. Although known mainly for sporting events, the arena has also played host to many international pop and rock concerts. Istanbul is a great, alive and kicking city with more than 10 million inhabitants. It is a unique city where east meets west. The city is built on 2 continents and the Bosphorus straight divides it into 2 parts which are Asia and Europe. The Asian side is mainly residential and the European side is where all the action is. All historic, touristic places and the best clubs and bars are on the European side. Read also: Eurovision Song Contest's Venues: Latvia Eurovision Song Contest's Venues:Denmark Eurovision Song Contest's Venues: Sweden Eurovision Song Contest's Venues: Israel Eurovision Song Contest's Venues: United Kingdom Eurovision Song Contest's Venues: Ireland Eurovision Song Contest's Venues