Turkey contains Istanbul, the major city situated on both the European and Asian sides of the Bosporus.
Istanbul occupies a strategic position between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. It was founded as Byzantium, became Constantinople under the Roman Empire, and was renamed Istanbul after the Ottoman conquest in 1453. The city served as the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, although Turkey’s capital moved to Ankara in 1923.
The Bosporus divides Istanbul’s European and Asian districts, while bridges and ferries connect the two sides. Major landmarks include Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapı Palace. Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city and its principal cultural and commercial center, but it is not the national capital. That distinction belongs to Ankara, a common point of confusion in geography quizzes.