Istanbul embraces two continents with one arm reaching out to Asia and the other to Europe. Through the city's heart -the Bosphorus- run the waters of the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn. The former capital of three successive empires, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman , Istanbul today honors and preserves the legacy of its past while looking forward to a modern future. It is Istanbul's endless variety that fascinates visitors. The museums, churches, palaces, grand mosques, bazaars and sights of natural beauty seem innumerable.
Reclining on the western shore of the Bosphorus at sunset contemplating the red evening light reflected in the windows of the opposite shore, you may suddenly understand why so many centuries ago settlers chose to build on this remarkable site.