Istanbul shines as Europe's 2nd brightest Christmas city
Taksim's famous İstiklal Street is illuminated with festive lights for the new year, Istanbul, Türkiye. (Getty Images)


In a recent study by a U.K.-based company, Istanbul has emerged as the second most brilliantly lit Christmas city in Europe during the month of December.

The research conducted by Reboot SEO Agency aimed to assess the utilization of outdoor artificial lights in various European cities during the festive season.

The investigation, leveraging NASA's Black Marble nighttime lights dataset, delved into the augmentation of luminosity in urban areas from October to December, offering insights into the enthusiastic embrace of Christmas lighting across different regions.

Milan claimed the top spot in the rankings, exhibiting a remarkable surge of 69.25% in brightness from October to December, signifying the city's fervor for decking itself out in Christmas lights.

Istanbul closely followed, securing the second position with a substantial 69.14% increase in luminosity during the Christmas period. This recognition positions the historic Turkish city among Europe's brightest during the holiday season.

Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital, clinched the third spot with a notable 67.57% escalation in luminosity in December. Despite a spike in power consumption for festive lighting, Ljubljana maintains one of the lowest average brightness levels in Europe during October.

The study underscores Istanbul's vibrant celebration of Christmas, rivaling other major European cities in embracing the festive spirit through a brilliant display of outdoor artificial lights.