Istanbul and the Bosporus

Istanbul is Turkeys most popular city and is situated on two continents - Europe and Asia. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, and arguably the most important. There are concerns about letting Turkey join the European Union within Europe. The Bosporus lies on the side of Istanbul and is a major gateway to the inland seas of Russia - the Black Sea. Istanbul surrounds this natural harbour known as the Golden Horn, which is located in the northwest of the country. A lot of Turks only stay on the European side, they live and work there. The Bosporus divides Asia and Europe and also provides a link for ships to get into the Black Sea. Istanbul is situated right on the side of the Bosporus strait.

There are water taxis that cross the Bosporus. Some worked as labourers and when they retire they become fishermen or get a water taxi. They sell the fish that they catch and usually live on the Asian side of the Bosporus. Some families come from the area of Anatolia. They used to have orchards and farms and migrated to Istanbul to find work when things went bad. Istanbul is officially located in both Europe and Asia, but is generally considered European maybe because its the original name of the city, Constantinople, was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. Some Turks live on the Asian side and work on the European side. There are cheaper rents on that side and can be one eighth the cost of rents on the European side in Istanbul.

European Turks mix with foreigners from Europe and have foreign friends at university and are mainly modern and outward looking. New immigrants come from the old Soviet blok. They work at factories and may come from Romania because of hard times back at home. Istanbul is a very beautiful city and they like being here because the Turkish people treat them well. At night the lights twinkle on the Bosporous and the traffic on the bridges are full of people going home after work. Istanbul has always been a cross-roads between east and west. Crossing the the Bosporous can take a couple of hours however so getting to work is a hassle. Crossing the Bosporous is dangerous and busy. Fishermen have to be careful and get out of the way of ships who have the right of way. Most of the ships carry petrol and other inflammable goods so it is quite dangerous and they have to take a lot of care.

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