The two halves of bustling city where East meets West shine
brightly in a photo taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space
Station on Aug. 9.
The Bosporus Strait famously separates the two halves of
Istanbul: Its European half lies to the left in the photo and its Asian half to
the right.
The Bosporus is a busy 19-mile-long (31 kilometers) waterway
through which ships pass between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Ferries
also run between the two halves of the historic city, which was the capital of
many ancient empires.
The First and Second Bosporus Bridges can be seen spanning
the strait and connecting to the halves of the city. Dark areas on the
outskirts of the city are.