Travel show journey of the spirit

The Bosporus Strait gives Istanbul a unique place among world cities. The most important city in Turkey, Istanbul is the only city that stands on two continents — Europe and Asia. The Bosporus, which divides Istanbul, is about 35 kilometers long and connects the Black Sea in the north to the Sea of Marmara in the south. The European side of the city is the larger part and is itself divided by the Golden Horn, a tributary that empties into the Bosporus. Within the European section of the city are many of the city's historical monuments and buildings including Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya in Turkish), the Blue Mosque, the Mosque of Sultan Suleyman, the Topkapi Palace (now a museum), and the famous Kapal? Çarş? (pronounced "kah–PAH–luh CHAR–shuh") covered market. Because of its strategic location, Istanbul was central to the region's trade routes, which linked Europe, Iran, the Arabian peninsula, the Horn of Africa, the Caucasus, the Russian steppe, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean Basin. The commercial republic of Venice was a major trading partner as well as a sometime rival and enemy. Ships sailed through the Black Sea and into the Mediterranean. Land routes stretched out toward Europe as well as along the Anatolian Plateau heading north, south, and east. Camel and horse caravans traversed the region. Istanbul's location made it a coveted city that armies often fought over.