Many would argue that what makes Istanbul is the famous Bosporus that divides Europe with Asia and the Marmara Sea to the Black Sea. This narrow straight of water makes Istanbul the only city on two continents. It is Istanbul’s jewel in the crown. Everything that it has to offer from the Dolmbahce palace to Ciragan Palace Hotel as well the iconic old villas known as (Yali) where the old Ottoman aristocracy lived are on full view.
Europe Meets Asia-The Bosporus
As part of the only passage between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, the Bosporus has always been of great importance from a commercial and military point of view, and remains strategically important today. It is a major sea access route for numerous countries, including Russia and Ukraine. Control over it has been the objective of a number of conflicts in modern history, notably the Russo Turkish war as well as of the attack of the Allied Powers on the Dardanelles during the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli in during World War 1
