Exploring Istanbul’s Waterfront, Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul’s strategic location on the Bosphorus Strait was coveted by many dynasties over the centuries. Connecting the Sea of Marmara, a part of the Mediterranean, with the Black Sea made the strait an important shipping route for trade and commerce. Since those early days the Bosphorus, its inlet Golden Horn and Sea of Marmara have shaped the way this city looks and operates. Today, these connected waterways give Istanbul a long waterfront that is a key component of its vibrant personality.

A settlement has been on this site as early as 667 BCE when it was known as Byzantium. For the next few centuries many battles were won and lost to gain control of this coveted land. Warring empires included the Greeks, Persians, and Romans until eventually the Eastern Roman Empire was able to hang on to it for over 1,100 years. Constantine became Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, more commonly called Byzantine, and made Byzantium their capital. It was then renamed Constantinople. The Byzantines were eventually defeated in the 15th century by the Ottoman Empire. At the time the Ottoman capital was on the other side of Sea of Marmara in Bursa. Once they controlled Constantinople, they renamed it Istanbul and moved the Ottoman capital there. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).