Istanbul is located above the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Istanbul 's strategic position on the historic Silk Road , rail networks to Europe and the Middle East , and the only sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean have produced a cosmopolitan populace , although less so since the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923 .	Istanbul	Istanbul Province	Europe	Europe	Black Sea	Black Sea	Silk Road	Silk Road	Mediterranean	Mediterranean Sea
