U2 Makes Istanbul Debut

U2 played their first ever show in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday night. Before the show, they visited with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, partied in the city and hiked across Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge.

As a gift to the dignitary, the group presented Erdogan with an iPod from Bono's official RED collection. They also met with Erdogan 's daughter, Sümeyye.

In addition to the band's visit, Bono, his wife, Ali Hewson, and U2 guitarist the Edge spent Sunday night at a Reina nightclub. The night spot is popular among Turkish models, celebrities and millionaires.

After visiting the Bosphorus Bridge, Bono talked about its significance, saying, "Last September I was asking, what would be the most inspiring thing about Istanbul? And I said you know it is the bridge between the east and the west. It is the bridge between Europe and Asia, it is the bridge between the secular and religious. It is very important."

For the show, the band performed a two-hour set in front of a crowd of 50,000 fans at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium. The performance was part of their ongoing 360° Tour.