Istanbul embraces two continents, one arm reaching out to Asia, the other to Europe. Trough citys heart, the Bosphorus Strait, course the waters of the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn. Today Istanbul honors and preserves the legacy of its past as the former capital of three successive empires the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman while looking forward to its modern future. Indeed, it is Istanbuls variety that fascinates its visitors. The museums, castles, palaces, great mosques, bazaars and the sights of naturel beauty seem inexhaustible .