Location and Geography
With one arm reaching out to Asia and the other to Europe, İstanbul is the only city in the world built on two continents separated by a natural strait called the Bosphorus. Due to its unique location and landscape, a temperate Mediterranean climate makes the city a favorable place to live.
The Golden Horn (Haliç) is an inlet of the Bosphorus with two rivers draining into it at the far end. It is considered to be the world’s largest natural harbor and separates the European shore of İstanbul into two. The best places to observe the Golden Horn’s activity is the Galata Bridge.
İstanbul, is literally, the bridge between Europe and Asia; a rectangular land with the Sea of Marmara on its southern shores, Black Sea on its northern shores. Sea of Marmara is an inland sea connecting Black Sea to the Aegean through the straits of Bosphorus and Dardanelles.
İstanbul is known as the City on the Seven Hills as these hills refer to the hills on the Historical Peninsula. The city has inherited this tradition from Roman Constantinople which – consciously following the model of ancient Rome – was built on seven hills too.
While not the actual capital, İstanbul is Türkiye’s largest city with a population of more than 17 million people.