The Bosphorus is a natural strait that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, and is therefore a very strategic waterway.

It was a river in the valley during the Triassic period, which was drowned by the sea at the end of this period.

It is 32 kilometres (20 mi) long from north to south. Its width ranges from 730–3,300 metres (2,400–1,200 ft), and its depth ranges from 30–120 metres (100–395 ft).

The Bosphorus Strait separates the European from the Asian parts of Istanbul.

Legend of the Bosphorus

The English name of the Bosphorus Strait comes from a Greek myth.

A Greek was having an affair with a beautiful woman named Io. When his wife discovered his betrayal, she turned Io into a cow and had a horse chase her, causing her to jump across the strait.

Thus bous = cow, phorus = crossing place, and Bosphorus = “crossing place of the cow”.

Recent marine archaeological research in the cold, deep waters of the Black Sea has revealed sunken cities on underwater cliffs along the Turkish coast.

Geological evidence supports the theory that in Ages In ancient times the northern end of the Bosphorus was blocked by land and rocks. The Black Sea had no outlet (like Lake Van today), and its water level was lower than the Aegean Sea, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus.

However, an earthquake destroyed the Bosphorus Strait, sending a flood of water from the Bosphorus into the Black Sea, raising the water level and flooding its coastal communities.

So maybe the Bosphorus is the source of Noah's flood and the legend of Noah's Ark!

Bosphorus Strait

History of the Bosphorus

The Bosphorus Strait has been a waterway of utmost importance since ancient times.

Through it passed Ulysses and through it sailed Byzas, who founded Byzantium (later Constantinople, later Istanbul), up and down looking for the perfect place to found his village.

In 1452, Mehmed the Conqueror ordered the construction of the great castles of Castle Europe and Castle Anatolia.

So that he could control the strait, and prevent reinforcements from reaching the besieged Byzantine capital in Constantinople.

The drawback for the Ottomans was mostly that every spring they had to ship their huge armies across the straits from Istanbul to campaign in Anatolia, Syria and Persia.

Bosphorus Strait

History of the Bosphorus

How do ships cross the Bosphorus?

The Bosphorus is crossed by many passenger and vehicle ferries daily.

In addition to recreational and fishing boats ranging from catamarans to yachts owned by public and private entities.

The strait also passes significant amounts of international commercial shipping traffic by cargoes and tankers.

The risks posed by the geography are compounded by the heavy ferry traffic across the strait, which connects the European and Asian sides of the city.

As such, all the hazards and obstacles characteristic of narrow waterways are present and acute in this critical sea passage.

In 2011, the government discussed Turkish Construction of a large-scale canal project approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) long.

It runs north to south across the western edges of Istanbul province as a second waterway between the Black Sea and Marmara, aiming to reduce the risks in the Bosphorus.

Bosphorus Strait

 

The importance of the Bosphorus for tourism in Türkiye

  • The Bosphorus is the only way for Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia and Ukraine to reach Mediterranean Sea And other seas.
  • Sovereignty over the strait is also an important issue for the coastal countries besides Türkiye.
  • Although it is only one of the natural borders separating the European and Asian mainlands, the most famous is the Bosphorus.
  • A temperate region in terms of climate and geographical conditions.
  • Istanbul, divided by the Bosphorus, is one of the few transcontinental cities in the world.
  • Even if Turkey has no right to receive fees from ships passing through the strait, the Turkish military has broad powers under the Montreux Convention.
  • The Bosphorus Command is located on the banks of the Bosphorus and the military ships connected to the command are anchored in the waters of the Bosphorus.

 

Tourism in the Bosphorus

 

Bosphorus and tourist attractions

The Bosphorus contains 620 waterfront yalı houses, which were built during the Ottoman period along the European and Asian coasts of the strait.

It is home to Ottoman palaces such as Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace, Yildiz Palace, Çırağan Palace, Feriye Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Kucuksu Palace, Ihlur Palace, Hatice Palace, Adile Palace and Khedive's Palace.

It includes buildings and monuments in Hagia Sophia, Hagia Irene, Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Yeni Mosque, Kilic Ali Pasha Mosque, Nusretiye Mosque, Dolmabahce Mosque, Ortaköy Mosque, Üsküdar Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, and Yeni Valide Mosque.

And many towers such as Maiden's Tower, Galata Tower, Rumelian Castle, Anatolian Castle, Yoros Castle, Selimiye Barracks, Sakıp Sabancı Museum, Sadberk Hanım Museum, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Borusan Museum of Contemporary Art, Tophane-Amir Museum.

As well as a number of universities: Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Galatasaray University, Bogazici University, Robert College, Kabatas High School, Kuleli Military High School.

Catamaran sea buses provide high-speed transportation services between the European and Asian shores of the Bosphorus.

But they stop at fewer ports and docks than public ferries.

Both public ferries and buses provide passenger services between the Bosphorus and the Prince's Islands in the Sea of Marmara.

Tours are also available. Tourist At different places along the Bosphorus coast, prices vary depending on the type of trip, and some feature loud folk music throughout the trip.

Tourism in Istanbul

Bosphorus architecture

The architectural style of the Bosphorus began to take shape with simple houses in fishing villages established on the coast during the Byzantine period.

The palaces, which were placed on the shores during the Ottoman period, became one of the most prominent examples of Bosphorus architecture and were identified with the Bosphorus for years.

The number of palaces built on both sides of the Bosphorus Strait over the centuries has reached about 360 today.

Today, most of them still retain their old forms, and they are among the most expensive properties in Türkiye and Istanbul.

Many palace buildings were also built on the Bosphorus, which was one of the most popular places for people's palaces during the Ottoman period.

Dolmabahce Palace, Adli Sultan Palace, Kucuksu Palace, Beykoz Palace are some of the most amazing structures used by the sultans and their relatives from time to time.

Historical buildings such as Galatasaray University, the Egyptian Consulate and the Sakıp Sabancı Museum are among the most famous architectural examples on the Bosphorus.

In the Ottoman era there was a tradition of building mosques, sidewalk squares as well as sidewalk buildings in important areas of the Bosphorus.

Beşiktaş Pier, Ortakoy Square, Ortakoy Mosque, Bebek Mosque, Beylerbeyi Mosque and Simsipasa Mosque are some of the monuments. Tourism From this tradition.

Bosphorus architecture