Istanbul in the 1970s, as people from Anatolia migrated to the city to find employment in the many new factories that were built on the outskirts of the sprawling metropolis. This sudden, sharp rise in the city's population caused a large demand for housing, and many previously outlying villages and forests became engulfed into the metropolitan area of Istanbul. Istanbul is located in north-western Turkey within the Marmara Region on a total area of . The Bosphorus, which connects the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea, divides the city into a European, Thracian side—comprising the historic and economic centers—and an
Church of St. Mary of the Spring (Istanbul) rebuild the church, which was inaugurated in 1835. During the Istanbul Pogrom on 6 September 1955 it was targeted by the state-sponsored fanatic Muslim mob. During this attack the sarcophaguses of the Ecumenical Patriarchs which are located outside the church were opened and their remains were scattered. Moreover, the church and the monastery were completely burned to the ground. Since then the damage has been restored. The sanctuary is directed by a titular bishop and is one of the most popular among the Orthodox of Istanbul, who visit it especially during the Friday after Easter and on September 14. On