Istanbul is a city of many exciting contrasts - superb architecture and history,
bustling markets, friendly people, and a fabulous setting on the Bosphorus.
It is the only city in the world to straddle two continents, Europe and Asia.
It has previously been known as Byzantium, and later Constantinople.
This is Aya Sofiya, previously known as the Basilica of St. Sophia, built by
Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th Century.
The Bosphorus Bridge crosses from Europe to Asia, and is one of the
World's largest suspension bridges. Warning - it is not permitted to walk across the bridge -
we found this out the hard way through a brush with the Turkish police!
