The cultural diversity of Istanbul defies exaggeration. A Roman city turned Christian, it was also the seat of the Islamic caliphate that preserved the patriarchate of Christian orthodoxy. It has been a refuge for Jews fleeing Spain in the fifteenth century, and for those seeking asylum in 1930's. Belonging to 3 different languages, the 26 ethnic groups living in Istanbul share a common goal: producing Olympic champions. Today Istanbul is proud of being part of a secular and democratic republic.