Istanbul
At just about the middle of the image the center of Istanbul can be seen. The southern sea in the city flows out into the Mediterranean Sea via the small Marmara Sea. The waterway leading to the Marmara Sea from north is the Bosporus Strait which is the only outlet from the Black Sea. The narrow waterway is the northern part of the city is called the Golden Horn. The white spots scattered in the Bosporus Strait and the Maramara Sea are ships. The Galata Bridge, the Ataturk Bridge and the Fatih Bridge lie int this order from the entrance of the Golden Horn. Near the Ataturk Bridge is a new buisiness section called the Galata district and in the old downtown, is the Ataturk Boulevard running throuth. The street crossing Ataturk Boulevard is called Orudu Boulevard. The white arc along the highway near the joint of the strait is a castle wall made of sturdy stones for Theodosius II. From the very end of the strait to this castle wall, was Konstantinople in the Medieval Times. The eastern or Asian side of the cit is Uskudar district.
This place makes a natural fortress with three sides surrounded by the sea, is a relay point for voyages from the Black Sea through the Mediterranean Sea, and plays a major role in the linkng of Asia and Europe on land. It was designated as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by King Konstantinus in 330 AD. He built the great castle wall 7km long in full, thus esablishing the bases for the Empire which flourished for a thousand years till it collapsed in 1453.
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