No city in the world can be said to straddle two continents, except for Istanbul. This imposing city with 15 million inhabitants, washed by the mighty Bosphorus from the east, and the Sea of Marmara from the south, represents the fearless capital of the former Eastern Roman Empire, then the Ottoman Empire, and later the state of Turkey. The city also includes groups of islands in the Sea of Marmara, which are better known as the Prince's Islands. As it spans two continents, the city itself can be divided into old Istanbul, which is located in the Asian part, and modern Istanbul, which belongs to Europe.
