Beijing Olympic Flame Lands in Istanbul April 3, 2008

Beijing Olympic Flame Lands in Istanbul April 3, 2008
The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay will be held in İstanbul today. During the run, which will begin in Sultanahment Square at 2 p.m., the Olympic torch will be passed on to the Anatolian side.
The torch will be carried by 80 individuals and will follow a route that includes the Bosporus Bridge, Mecidiyeköy and Taksim.
The high-profile journey is widely expected to draw demonstrators over the next month as the torch travels through London, Paris and San Francisco. Even today’s stop in Turkey could be a flash point for China’s Muslim Uighur minority.
Skater Tuğba Karademir will be the first athlete to carry the torch, and weightlifter Taner Sağır the last. A ceremony will be held before the start of the relay, and the Athena music band will give a concert upon its completion at 6 p.m.
The torch relay, under the slogan “Light the fire, share the dream,” will travel 137,000 kilometers across five continents in 130 days.
The torch, specifically made for the Beijing Olympics, is 72 centimeters in length and weighs 985 grams. It is resistant to rain, snow and wind.