Where is the city of Istanbul ?

Istanbul is in Turkey, a country set between 2 continents, Europe and Asia. Turkey has borders on the west with european countries and on the east with the Middle East and Asia.

 Why is the city of Istanbul so famous?

Firstly, for geographical reasons: the city is on the Bosphorus Strait. It’s here, between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea that the european and asian continents meet up. Thanks to its unique position, Istanbul is the link between 2 cultures and their different peoples. The inhabitants of Istanbul have various cultures and religions; they may be christians, muslims or jews. Istanbul is famous for its long history. Founded in the 7th century BC, it was called Byzantium. It was a Greek city. In 330 A.D, it became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and took the name Constantinople. But in 1453, the Eastern Roman Empire collapsed, and Constantinople became Turkish. Then, in 1930, the city was called Istanbul! Istanbul boasts many magnificent monuments which bear witness to its rich and turbulent past. Its present is still turbulent, because Turkey has borders with countries at war: Syria and Iraq, and Istanbul is a sanctuary for refugees fleeing the fighting.