Turkey Travel Part XI: Bosphorus Strait Boat-Cruise

December 8, 2019 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Bosphorus Strait Boat Cruise, Turkey Travel 

Day 9

Monday, 21 Oct 2019

Last Day of Turkey Tour

Monday, 21 Oct 2019, was the last day of our tour in Turkey before we flew back to our country, Malaysia.

Boat Cruise on Strait of Bosphorus

The first thing we did then was to cruise in a boat on the Strait of Bosphorus enjoying the cruise and sights of the strait.

Bosphorus Strait

Bosphorus Strait is 31 km long separating the European side from the Asian side in the City of Istanbul, Turkey. Besides, it links the Black Sea in the north to Marmara Sea and then Mediterranean Sea in the south.

Boat Cruise Route on Bosphorus Strait

The pictorial map below shows the orange-coloured route on the Strait of Bosphorus our boat took to see the important bridges and historical buildings on its shores at close range.

Cruise Boat, “Istanbul City”

At 10.30 a.m. we boarded a boat called “Istanbul City” at a waterfront of the Strait of Bosphorus.

Cruise Boat Owner

The owner of the boat soon brought us around for a sightseeing tour of the Strait of Bosphorus in Istanbul.

Writer and wife together with tourmates were enjoying the boat ride and sightseeing of the Strait of Bosphorus on 21 Oct 2019.

Importance of Bosphorus Strait

Bosphorus Strait or Strait of Istanbul in Turkey is an important waterway between Europe and Asia, and Black Sea and Marmara Sea.

In World War I(1914-18), the Allied Powers fought against the Ottoman Empire to take control of the Strait of Bosphorus, Marmara Sea and Strait of Dardanelles, but they failed in 1916.

Bosphorus Strait Measurements

The photo below shows Bosphorus Strait that links the Black Sea in the north and Marmara Sea and then Mediterranean Sea in the south. Its length is 31 km, minimum width 700 metres and maximum depth 110 metres.

Three Bridges Across Bosphorus Strait

There are three bridges spanning the waterway as shown in the photos below.

(i) Bosphorus Bridge or 15 July Martyr’s Bridge was the first bridge to be built between Europe and Asia. Built in 1973, it is 1560 metres long.

(ii) Faith Sultan Mehmet Bridge, the second bridge built to link Europe and Asia, was opened in 1988. It is 1510 metres long.

(iii) Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, the third bridge that connects Europe and Asia, was opened in 2016. It is the longest bridge among the three of them. Its length is 2164 metres.

Galata Bridge

Galata Bridge in Istanbul spanning the Golden Horn estuary is 490 metres long. Opened in 2003, it links the traditional place and the place where most of the non-Muslims, foreign merchants and diplomats live and work.

Importance of Boats

Boats in the Strait of Bosphorus between Europe and Asia have been an important public transport for many commuters, tourists and vehicles for many years.

Boats of different kinds use the Strait of Bosphorus every day. Small ships pass through the strait, too.

A ferry carrying passengers, tourists and vehicles past our boat in the Strait of Bosphorous in Istanbul, Turkey.

New and Old Buildings

While sailing on our boat, “Istanbul City”, in the Strait of Bosphorus, we saw new and old buildings on its shores.

Below are photos showing historical buildings on the shores of Bosphorus Strait.

(i) Dolmabachce Mosque which was built in 1855

(ii) Ortakoy Mosque which was built in1856

(iii) Dolmabahce Palace which was opened in 1856 and home to 6 sultans of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 until 1922

(iv) Ziya Kalkavan Vocational & Technical Anatolian High School

(v) Kuleli Military High School which was established in 1845

Promontory

We saw from the Golden Horn estuary two monumental buildings, viz. Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia Museum on a promontory.

Lunch-Time

After an hour of boat-cruise in the Bosphorus Strait, we stopped at a restaurant, Imperial Galata Restaurant, located under Galata Bridge and had lunch.

Happy Moment

At the restaurant, our tour-manager, writer and tourmates toasted to each other for having, successfully, visited almost all the places of interest in our Turkey tour on 21 Oct 2019.

Writer’s Last Lunch in Turkey

My last lunch in Turkey at Imperial Galata Restaurant in Istanbul on 21 Oct 2019

A Visit to Two Famous Bazaars

After lunch, we walked across Galata Bridge spanning the Golden Horn estuary in Istanbul to visit two famous markets, Spice Bazaar and Grand Bazaar.

Anglers on Galata Bridge

While crossing the bridge, we saw many local anglers fishing from the bridge.

An angler’s pail of fish caught in the Golden Horn estuary.

Camilica Mosque or New Mosque

On the way to Spice Bazaar, we saw from Galata Bridge a new large mosque which was opened on 4 May 2019. Known as Camlica Mosque or New Mosque, it is the largest mosque in Turkey.

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Places visited during Turkey Tour(13-22 Oct 2019):

Trojan Horse/Ancient Troy Cities Asklepion Ephesus Hierapolis/Pamukkale Travertine Sultanhani Caravanserai Pasabag Valley Uchisar Valley/Kaymakli Underground City Gerome Valley/Turkish Night Show Hot Air Balloon/Lake Golu/Anitkabir Hagia Sophia/Topkapi Palace/Blue Mosque Bosphorus Boat Cruise Spice Bazaar/Grand Bazaar