Golden Horn Chain in Istanbul

The chain of the Golden Horn of Istanbul, which stretched far away from the entrance of the Golden Horn Bay in the past, today, pieces of it are kept in the museum as a souvenir of the effort to prevent enemies from entering the bay. This chain, which played an important role in the protection of the city during the Byzantine Empire, lost its use when entering the new era.

The Importance of Istanbul in the Past

The city of "Istanbul" is one of the most important cities in Turkey, which was known as "Constantinople" during the Byzantine Empire and was the capital of various governments until the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. This city, which is an ideal place for all kinds of commercial and economic exchanges due to the Silk Road passing through it, access to the Black and Marmara Seas, and proximity to European countries, many governments have tried to capture it.

Based on this, many castles and fortresses were built at the ends of the important beaches of this city so that they could protect Istanbul well; in such a situation, while the relatively turbulent waters of the Bosphorus Strait prevented hostile ships from entering the city, the only weak point of the city was the Golden Horn Bay due to its calm waters. For this reason, the only solution for this problem is to pull a long chain between the two ends of the opening of the golden horn to prevent ships from entering it.

The Golden Horn of Istanbul

The Golden Horn of Istanbul in the south of the Bosphorus Strait and the European side of the city is a mouth along which there is a bay with the same name; this bay, whose waters are calm and have very little turbulence, has anchorages and important commercial centers located on both sides of it. This caused the governments that wanted to capture Constantinople to enter the city only through this bay and the mouth of the golden branch.

Golden Horn Chain in Istanbul

As mentioned, the Byzantine Empire was at war with different countries many times during its rule and was invaded in some cases. These events, some of which still remain today and are among the tourist-historical attractions of Istanbul, indicate the importance of Constantinople in those times.

Accordingly, considering that the city of Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire in the Middle Ages, it was almost impenetrable due to its natural fortifications and fortresses and defense walls; because it was surrounded by two rows of defensive walls from the land side, and naturally, the strong currents of the Bosphorus strait also prevented enemy ships from anchoring; however, there was still a downside and that was the calm waters of the Golden Horn.

According to historical evidence, the construction of this defensive chain dates back to around the 8th century and stretched between a guard tower east of Topkapi Palace on the southern bank of the Golden Horn and a ruined castle on the northern side of the city (where the underground Yeralti Mosque Camii" is located). This chain was initially located on a series of wooden floats or barrels, and later, a way for non-hostile ships to pass was considered for them to be able to pass.

According to historians, following the capture of Constantinople by the Seljuk Turks, which led to the city's name being changed to "Istanbul," this chain was gathered and stored in a warehouse in the city; today, a part of this chain is also exhibited in "Istanbul Archaeological Museum," and next to it, there is a painting in a new style based on an engraving from 1493; in this painting, the walls of the city and monuments, as well as the chain stretched at the entrance of the Golden Horn, are depicted.

Access to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum

Regardless of which area of ​​the city you have chosen to book a hotel in Istanbul, you can go to the Istanbul Archeology Museum using public transportation. This museum, which is located near Topkapi Palace in Golden Horn, can be visited by tourists every day except Mondays.

Note: Due to the high taxi fares in Istanbul, tourists are advised to use the "Rent a Car in Istanbul" option for easy and low-cost travel to different places in this city. At the same time, in order to board the bus and metro, tourists must not only have a "Ticket Card" specific to Istanbul but also must know the stations and routes of each of these vehicles.

The Best Time to Visit the Golden Horn of Istanbul

In general, due to the features and facilities available in Istanbul for tourists, regardless of the season they travel to this metropolis, they can visit various historical, natural, cultural and urban attractions; however, since the weather in Istanbul is better in spring and early autumn, perhaps these two seasons can be mentioned as the best time to visit the attractions in the Golden Horn (but spring and summer are the most visited times for such an action).

Note: By booking a hotel in the Taksim area, you can have easier access to the attractions of this area and even other areas of the city and enjoy your trip more.

The Golden Horn of Istanbul and its Famous Bridges

In general, 4 bridges in the Golden Horn region connect it to the northern part of the bay; accordingly, the first bridge from the mouth of the Golden Horn is the "Galata Köprüsü," which connects the two districts of "Karaköy" from the north side to "Eminönü" in the Golden Horn; the second bridge, "Haliç Metro Köprüsü" and the third bridge a short distance from it, "Atatürk/Unkapani Köprüsü" and the fourth bridge which is closer to the end of the bay, "Golden Horn Bridge (Haliç Köprüsü)".

Attractions Around the Golden Horn of Istanbul

One of the points that increase the importance of the Golden Horn area of ​​Istanbul is the number of tourist attractions in this part of the city; in such a situation, if you have the experience of traveling on a tour to Istanbul, usually they will prioritize visiting the attractions of this district. At the same time, if you are planning your trip yourself, you can consider visiting the sights around the Golden Horn of Istanbul:

·         Miniaturk Park

·         Istanbul Archaeological Museum

·         Ciragan Palace

·         Topkapi pine

·         Hagia Sophia Mosque

·         Suleymaniye Mosque

·         The Sultan Ahmed/ Blue Mosque

·         Cağaloğlu Hamam (Bathroom)

·         Galata Tower

·         Saint Stephen's Orthodox Church

·         Saygıdeğer Patriklik Kilisesi

·         Basilica Cistern

·         Pierre Loti Cafe and Restaurant

·         And many other tourist attractions

Famous Neighborhoods Around the Golden Horn of Istanbul

According to what has been said so far, the Golden Horn district, where almost the core of today's Istanbul is formed, has some of the most important and famous neighborhoods in Istanbul; for this reason, those who travel to this city prefer to rent a suite in Istanbul and the Golden Horn district so that in addition to accessing various centers, they can also reduce their travel expenses.

Accordingly, the famous neighborhoods around the Golden Horn of Istanbul are: Eminönü, Galata, Karaköy, Unkapanı, Zeyrek, Çibali, Fener, Balat, İvan Saray, Eyüp, Sütlüce and Hasköy.

Istanbul Golden Horn Hotels

If you are also interested in staying in the Golden Horn district in order to have easier access to important tourist attractions or shopping centers in Istanbul, be sure to choose your hotel in this district; these hotels, which include ordinary hotels to boutique hotels and luxury ones, are the most famous hotels of the Golden Horn of Istanbul as follows:

·         Mövenpick Hotel

·         Aydinoglu Hotel

·         Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center

·         Romance Istanbul Hotel

·         Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus

·         YOTEL Istanbul Airport Hotel Landside

·         Crowne Plaza Istanbul Florya an IHG Hotel

·         Elite World Grand İstanbul Küçükyalı Hotel

·         Villa Pera Suite Hotel

Sheraton Istanbul City Center

Note: some luxury hotels offer a service called "Airport Transfer" to their guests so that a driver will bring them from the airport to the hotel; in such a situation, if your hotel does not provide services in this regard, you can "Rent a Car with a Driver (Transfer)" from car rental companies.