Three bodies of water meet here: the Golden Horn, Bosphorus Strait and Sea of Marmara.

BBC: A perfect day in Istanbul

Marine biologists call them the "street children" of the Bosphorus Strait.

NPR: Dolphins Dodge Danger in the Bosphorus Strait

The canal today is taken for granted, much like the Bosphorus or the Strait of Gibraltar.

ECONOMIST: The Suez Canal