Bosphorus Bridge, Istanbul

The Second Bosphorus bridge called also Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge is the second bridge on your way up to the black sea.

The bridge connects the 2 continents and he is 1.5 km long.

On the European side you can see Kavacik and rumeli fortress and on the Asian side you can see hisarustu.

Pedestrians can't walk on the bridge because of suicides.

The First Bosphorus bridge is very close to Ortakoy Mosque.
The bridge connects the 2 continents and he is 1km long.

On the European side you can see Ortakoy mosque and Dolmabahce palace very close and on the Asian side you can see Beylerbey palace .

Pedestrians can't walk on the bridge because of suicides.

I promise to you all,to take wonderfull photos of this trip....
u know what...iam 33, and lived all in istanbul, but just today,i get on that ferry that takes this route...what a shame ...

from 17.50 , or 18.20 , or 18.25 .....
takes the tour...from eminonu.
infact people use this ferry to get back to home from their work...
it begins at eminonu...passes by so close to coast stops by besiktas, ortakoy,kuzguncuk,beylerbeyi,cengelkoy,pasabahce,beykoz ....have fish there......from beykoz you take small ferries to back to european site : istinye...by bus back to emnonu..hve a cup of tea or coffe at rmeli/bebek/arnavutkoy....
well,todayy, i had to go beylerbeyi from eminonu.
so took this ferry..so lovely scene...
(i had lots of ferry tour in bosphorus...but i dont know why this one comes to me so special.)

Although we were on the European side of Istanbul throughout our visit, it was cool to see the bridge connecting the 2 continents. For as skinny as the bosphorous looks on a map, it was a surprise to see just how long this bridge really is!

The uniquness of the Bosphorus Bridge comes from the fact that Istanbul is the only place in the world where a bridge links two continents - Asia and Europe.

In the beginning pedestrians could walk across the bridge and the elevators inside the legs were open to the public. I was told that due to the fact that jumping from the bridge is a rather common method to commit suicide, the bridge is closed for pedestrians nowadays.

It is a toll bridge, and a toll plaza with I think over 10 toll booths is situated after the bridge on the Asian side. Toll is paid for one way passing from the European side to the Asian side.

Some history:
During the Republican period, Nuri Demirag, the architect of the first plane manufactured in Turkey, proposed to build a bridge linking the two shores of the Bosphorus. In 1931 he prepared a project for his dream work - brige similar to the San Fransisco-Oakland Bay suspension bridge. The Minister of Public Works decreed that "this is not possible" and the project was abandoned.

In 1953, the issue of linking the Bosphorus through a bridge was brought up at an official level for the first time. Yet the project was delayed due to financial and political difficulties.

After about a decade a new government approved the construction of a bridge. The construction took 3 years and the cost was 22 million US Dollars.

The Bosphorus Bridge was officially opened in 1973 during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the foundation of the Republic.

Some statistics:
The bridge is 1560 m long, with a middle span of 1.074 m, a width of 33.40 m and an altitude of 64 m.

The Bosphorus Bridge plays an important role in
stanbul traffic. It has three lanes at each direction and about 91,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily. The average queue length changes from 6 to 13 vehicles between 17:00-18:00 and from 19 to 21 vehicles between 18:00-18:30.

Fully loaded, the bridge sags about 90cm in the middle of the span.

It is the 4th of the longest bridges in Europe and the 7th in the world.

It was another great activity I did in Istanbul.

The clear blue water and the Grey clouds with some cool winds added a romantic flavour to my trip.

The bridge was too high above us,and too long also.

I asked if it's possible to have a walk on the bridge,they told me NO because it was used by many people to attempt suicide!!

i had seen many bridges in my life , but this is the most perfect and most beautiful one.

In 1973, on the 50th anniversary of the Turkish Republic, a suspension bridge similar to the British River Severn Bridge was opened at Istanbul linking the Asian and European shores of the strait.
It is 64 m / 210 ft high with 6 lanes. The total length is1,560 m / 5,117 ft and the distance between two legs is only 1,074 m / 3,523 ft. The construction took 3 years and the cost was 22 million US Dollars.
During its first years pedestrians could walk across the bridge and the elevators inside the legs were open to the public. However, after many suicides it is no longer open to pedestrians.

Designed as a classical railway station casual to see in every European city to symbolise "Now you are in Europe" to eastern visitors...

The main stairs through the sea (Marmara) which seperates two continents makes a dramatic end to the journey (have fairwell memories in a lot of Turkish movie)

If you come to Istanbul and want to make a Bosphorous long trip, by the sea, I recommend you to go to Eminonu (Sirkeci)
early in the morning (everyday at a10.35, 12.00 and 13.35) take the boat (named Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa) for a Bosphorous trip. It stops at Kanlica, Yenikoy etc. The last stop is Anadolu Kavagi. Here it stays for 2 hours (for meal etc). At the end of the 2 hours, you take the same boat for the return.

You can't miss it! :)

One of the world's largest
suspension bridges, the Bosphorus Bridge (Bogazici Koprusu), linking Europe and Asia.

The bridge opened on 27th October 1974, the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic.

- 1074 metres (3,523 ft) in the length between the two great piers;
- the total length is1,560 m (5,117 ft);
- 64 metres (210 ft high) above the water at the centre of its span.
- the construction took 3 years and the cost 22 million USD.

During its first years pedestrians could walk across the bridge and the elevators inside the legs were open to the public. However, after many suicides it is no longer open to pedestrians.
But sometimes, on Istanbul Marathon Day for example it's open for public, and there are discussions right now in order to re-open it for public.