Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul

The Bosphorus Strait is one of the important natural attractions in Istanbul, which divides the city into two Asian and European sides, providing many opportunities for tourism. The Bosphorus Strait running north to south of Istanbul, connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of ​​Marmara, is known as "Boğaziçi Boğazı" in Turkish.

From the beginning, the Bosphorus Strait has been recognized as one of the most important waterways in Turkey and has played an important role in political, strategic, economic and military terms.

On the other hand, the construction of important and beautiful buildings on both sides of the Bosphorus Strait over the years is one of the reasons that, in addition to increasing the importance of this strait, has multiplied the beauty around it.

Structurally, the width of the Bosphorus Strait is between 0.7 and 3.55 km, and its length is about 30 km; this strait, which starts from a point between "Sarayburnu" and "Kiz Kulesi" in the southern part of the Black Sea extends to the area between "Rumeli" and "Anadolu Fenerleri" lighthouse in the northern part of the Sea of ​​Marmara.

It is interesting to know the length of its European coast, taking into account all inlets and capes, reaches 46 km, and the Asian coast reaches 34 km; the depth of its waters in different parts is between 36 and 147 meters, and one of the common entertainments of tourists in relation to the Bosphorus is boating and watching the sunset, sea views and sightseeing between its various ports. It should be noted that the Bosphorus Strait is known as "İstanbul Boğazı" and "Karadenız Boğazı" in Turkish.

How to Access the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul

Due to the fact that the Bosporus Strait serves as an access route between the Asian and European parts of Istanbul through 3 bridges, as well as ferries and boats, access to this important area is possible in various ways. Therefore, although access to the strait is possible by: taxi, tram, subway or bus, the easiest way to come to the Bosphorus Strait is the subway (provided you have a Ticket Card for Istanbul).

For this purpose, you must first get to the metro station of "Taksim" and go to "Kabataş"; from there, take the T1 tram to the "Eminönü" station and finally, the Bosphorus Strait; alternatively, you can take line 42 to "Beşiktaş" station and reach your destination after an about 15-minute walk to "Ortaköy".

Note: Due to the high taxi fares in Istanbul, the cost of only one route (for example, from Sabiha Airport and Taksim Square), is equal to the car rental for a full day, so most tourists rent a car in Istanbul. On the other hand, although the cost of traveling by bus and metro is much lower, most tourists tend to use these options less frequently due to their unfamiliarity with the routes and stations, as well as the delays associated with boarding these often-crowded transportation means.

The Famous Bridges of the Bosphorus Strait

Currently, there are 3 suspension bridges named: 15th July Martyrs with a length of 1506 meters (1973), Fatih Sultan Mehmet with a length of 1090 meters (1988), and Yavuz Sultan Selim with a length of 2164 meters (2016).

these bridges, which play a very important role in the connection between the Asian and European sides of Istanbul, passing over them by car or under them by ferries and boat, is along with beautiful views. Among these beautiful sights is watching the sunset from the deck of the ferries, and if you plan to go on a cruise tour in Turkey, you can enjoy watching such sights.

Popular Pastimes Around the Bosphorus Strait

Regardless of whether you travel to Istanbul on a tour or have planned it yourself, you can enjoy the following activities:

1.       Boarding a Ship: Undoubtedly, one of the most common activities that can be done in the Bosphorus Strait is boarding a boat and ferries that travel to different parts of the strait for sightseeing or moving passengers. In this way, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery around and take photos.

2.       Walking on the Galata Bridge: Walking on the 2-story Galata Bridge, which is one of the 3 bridges located on the Bosphorus Strait, is one of the common activities in this strait. At the same time, you can go to the shops located on the lower floor of the bridge and eat in its restaurants, in addition to watching the views of the sunrise and sunset, the traffic of ships, etc.

3.       Tasting Food and Pleasant Flavors: The abundance of visual beauty around the Bosphorus Strait has led to the existence of cafes, street delis and restaurants on both sides of the Bosphorus Strait; various foods with wonderful flavors, beautiful arrangements, live music performances, setting the table in the open space to watch the surrounding scenery, etc., are the features of these places.

4.       Cycling and Walking: Another enjoyable and free activity in the Bosphorus Strait is cycling and walking along the waterfront. For this reason, you can see various people exercising, walking, and biking at almost any hour of the day.

5.       Bird Watching: Considering the closeness to the sea and the vastness of the Bosphorus Strait, in addition to birds such as sparrows and pigeons, it is easy to watch and feed other birds such as ducks, seagulls, etc.; enjoy this view next to attractions such as the miniature palaces of birds in Istanbul, which are mostly found in buildings from the Ottoman period.

6.       Photography Around the Bosphorus Strait: Considering the natural features of this strait as well as the variety of birds, beautiful architecture and buildings, etc., photography is certainly one of the main entertainments for tourists in this area. The beauty of these landscapes around the Bosphorus Strait is so great that if you see a bride and groom taking photos of their ceremony, don't be surprised at all.

Attractions Around the Bosphorus Strait

As mentioned earlier, due to the importance of the Bosphorus Strait, many historical and religious monuments can be seen around it, which are very worth visiting. Accordingly, some of the most famous tourist attractions around the Bosphorus include: Kız Tower, Galata Tower, Dolmabahçe Palac, Sakip Sabanci Mosque, Ortaköy Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Çırağan Palace.

Restaurants Near the Bosphorus

One of the things that makes sightseeing around the Bosphorus more attractive is the existence of cafes where you can not only drink Turkish tea and coffee but also learn more about the culture of this country. Also, in addition to the possibility of tasting the famous dishes of Istanbul in various delicatessens, you can go to the restaurants near the Bosphorus Strait to enjoying listen to live music while having a meal; some of these famous restaurants are:

·         Terrace Restaurant

·         Izaka Restaurant

·         Orya Restaurant

·         Tomtom Kebab Restaurant

·         Galata Lily Cafe Restaurant

Hotels Near the Bosphorus Strait

One of the most important decisions when traveling to Istanbul is choosing a proper hotel in your favorite district; in such a situation, if the distance of your accommodation is too much to the places you intend to go, then you have to pay a lot for your transportation. Meanwhile, you can easily choose a suitable accommodation according to your needs and budget among the hotels near the Bosphorus, the most popular of which are:

·         Artisan Hotel

·         Metropolitan Hotel

·         Noble 22 Suites Hotel

·         Gezi Hotel

·         Nydia Hotel

·         Port Bosphorus Hotel