Istanbul (historically Byzantium and Constantinople), is the largest city of Turkey. Located in the northwest of the country, it lies on the Bosphorus strait and encompasses the natural harbour known as the Golden Horn. Extending both on the European (Thrace) and Asian (Anatolia) sides of the strait, Istanbul is the only city in the world situated on two continents. It covers 39 districts of Istanbul province. The greater Istanbul metropolitan area held 18% of Turkey's population in 2010. Its 13.26 million residents rank it third in Europe after those of London and Moscow. Istanbul's historic areas were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. It was named a joint European Capital of Culture for 2010 and the European Capital of Sports for 2012. Istanbul is currently bidding to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. The Bosphorus is the 32 km (20-mi)-long strait which joins the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea in Istanbul, and separates the continents of Europe and Asia. It's great for a half-day cruise north toward the Black Sea. You can return to Istanbul by land along the European shore and see all the sights. It runs right through the heart of Istanbul, past the Istanbul Modern Art Museum, several Ottoman palaces, at least two fortresses, forested hills, and shore villages with Ottoman architecture. (For self-guided touring, I've divided it into the Southern Bosphorus and Northern Bosphorus.) Traditionally called Bogaziçi (boh-AHZ-ee-chee, "Within the Strait"), more recently it's been called the Istanbul Boğazı.
