Istanbul

The only city straddling two continents/Cities & Urban

Istanbul is the only major city in the world that straddles two continents, with the Bosphorus strait dividing its European and Asian sides. With about 15.8 million people across 5,461 square kilometers, it is Turkey's largest city and economic heart. The city was previously known as Byzantium (660 BC) and Constantinople (330 AD) and served as the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman empires. Its skyline is defined by the domes and minarets of mosques alongside modern skyscrapers. The Bosphorus Bridge (now the 15 July Martyrs Bridge) was the first bridge to connect Europe and Asia when it opened in 1973.