Turkey is home to Istanbul, a major city located on two continents: Europe and Asia. The Bosporus Strait runs through the city, separating its European side in Thrace from its larger Asian side in Anatolia.
Istanbul's position has made it strategically important for more than two millennia. The ancient city of Byzantium and later Constantinople grew around the Bosporus, the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara. Its location allowed rulers to control trade and naval movement between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Constantinople became the capital of the Byzantine Empire and later the Ottoman Empire.
The Bosporus is not merely a symbolic boundary. Ferries, bridges and tunnels connect Istanbul's two sides, while the strait remains a busy international waterway. The 15 July Martyrs Bridge, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge are among its major crossings.
A common mistake is to say that Turkey itself lies on only one continent. Most of the country is in Asia, but a smaller western region, including European Istanbul, lies in Europe. Istanbul is therefore one of the world's best-known transcontinental cities.