Historic Areas of Istanbul (Turkey) - Referred to as the crossroads of East and West, Istanbul is home to Islamic, Roman, and Byzantine heritage sites. Due to the strategic importance of its location on the Bosporus peninsula between the Balkans and Anatolia, and the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, any power that took control of Istanbul became the masters of their particular era. In the Old Town of Istanbul, Roman era ramparts, Byzantine churches, and Islamic mosques coexist forming a unique atmosphere.-The Historic Center of Cordoba; and the Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzin, of Grandad (Spain) - There are a number of glorious Islamic era heritage sites in Spain, such as the Mezquita in Cordoba, and the Alhambra Palace in Granada. The legacy of Islamic culture remains strong in the towns of Cordoba and Granada in the province of Andalusia in southern Spain. The city of Cordoba, which was the capital of the Later Umayyad Caliphate from the 8th Century to the 11th Century; and the city of Granada, which flourished as the seat of the Nasrid Dynasty from the 13th Century to the 15th Century, are home to some of the greatest buildings in the Islamic world.