Istanbul is located in the Europe and Asia continent, frequently referred as Eurasia. Between two continents, Istanbul is considered as a cultural and commercial bridge. The Bosphorus not only separates the two continents, but also bonds the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. Beyond the political and commercial importance, the Bosphorus reflects its beauty to Istanbul.
The Bosphorus plays a crucial role on public transportation in Istanbul. Europe and Asia are connected with two suspension bridges: Bosphorus Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Bosphorus II) Bridge. This is the shortest route from European countries to Asian countries and both in commercial and public transportation the importance is obvious.
The Bosphorus has a strong influence on people and culture that may be seen on poems, novels and songs. Kéraban the Inflexible by Jules Verne and Eylül by Mehmet Rauf are just two examples of novels that are inspired from Istanbul and the Bosphorus.
Beyond appealing to visual pleasure and giving inspiration to people, the Bosphorus hosts an international athletics event: The Istanbul Marathon. It is the only marathon that takes place at two continents. It has four categories: 42 km, 15 km, 10 km and 8 km fun walk. All of them starts at Asian side of the Bosphorus Bridge and ends at different areas of European side.
The Bosphorus is a reflection of Istanbul. It is a mixture of old times and modern times. While taking a walk, you witness history. Consider the Istanbul property options and let Istanbul and the beautiful Bosphorus inspire you.
Also the bridges are covered by color-changing LED armatures. At nights the view of the Bosphorus is inexpressibly beautiful. Every year on the Republic Day of Turkey, it is celebrated with light performances and fireworks shows at the Bosphorus Bridge.
There are two important projects in Istanbul that will multiply its value: The Third Boshporus Bridge and Third airport. The Third Bridge is named after an Ottoman Sultan, Yavuz Sultan Selim. It is located north of the two existing bridges on the Bosphorus and when finished it will be the 8th longest suspension bridge in the world. The construction is expected to finish at the end of 2015. Third airport will be connected to Third Bosphorus Bridge which will be a part of, now under construction, Northern Marmara Motorway. And it is planned to be the largest airport in the world. 150 million passengers annually are expected when finished completely in 2018.