The old walled city ofIstanbul stands on a triangular peninsula between Europe and Asia. Sometimes asa bridge, sometimes as a barrier, Istanbul has stood between conflicting surgesof religion, culture, and imperial power for a long time. This is one of thegreatest cities in the world where one can observe fusion of the East and theWest. It is a melting pot of many civilizations and different people. Today, over 14 million people are living in this spread-outcity.