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First of all, despite the category heading, the Bosphorus is NOT A RIVER! It is a sea, connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, separating Asia and Europe. SEA, not river, got it?! Good...now, if you walk along by the ferry terminals in Eminonu, no doubt someone will approach you to persuade you to take a Bosphorus cruise. Sounds nice, but what they don't tell you is that their tour cruises only go as far as the first bridge and dump you back on dry land a couple of hours later. instead, look for the pier marked Bogaz Hatti (Bogaz is Turkish name Bosphorus), which is the local ferry stopping almost everywhere along both European and Asian coasts, finally reaching the small village of Anadolu Kavagi. There might not be loud music, garbled commentary and false merriment on these boats, but you will see a lot more and save a few lira to boot!
Leaving Eminonu, your first stop is commercial Besiktas, where some tourists opt to join the boat. Passing the impressive beautiful-ugly Dolmabahce Palace, the Swissotel Ciragan Palace and the trendy village of Ortakoy, you soon reach the first bridge. The boat pushes further on without stopping, so you can only admire Arnavutkoy, swanky Bebek and the two fortresses of Rumeli Hisari and Anadolu Hisari from afar, passing under the second bridge to pull into Kanlica on the Asian side. Famous for its yoghurt, a couple of sellers climb onboard to sell you pots of the stuff. Next stop is upmarket Yenikoy, home to a number of European consulates during the summer months. On to Sariyer, quite a conservative sort of place famous for its fish restaurants, and Rumeli Kavagi, a tiny village with a couple of beaches nearby. If this is your first time, I suggest continuing to Anadolu Kavagi, where you can spend a couple of hours waiting for the next ferry back. You can get off at any of the previous stops, but then that ruins your return ticket for some reason, and you'll have to take a bus back to Eminonu. Use the cruise to get an idea of what you want to visit later on. Leave a Comment Directions: The Bosphorus divides istanbul in two...you can't really miss it!
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If the throngs of tourists and merchants in Istanbul wear you down, one great way to escape for a while and still see a lot of very interesting sights is to take a cruise up the Bosphorus. The best way is to take the state-owned Turkish Maritime Lines (TDI) boats that depart from Eminonu.
The boat takes you up the Bosphorus toward the Black Sea, allowing you to see all the interesting structures along this historic waterway (see photos below). It makes six stops during the journey including a great one at Anadolu Kavagi on the Asian side, where it stops for several hours, allowing passengers to explore the area, get a meal, and relax.
A couple warnings about the cruise: First, you will be offered orange juice as you board the boat by neatly dressed attendants. They fail to mention that, after you finish your drink, they'll be around to collect a very high charge for the juice. This angered us substantially, but after our other experiences in Istanbul I suppose we should have known better. The other annoyance on the cruise was that the attendants spend every single second of the trip walking back and forth on the decks trying to sell everything imaginable, from various kinds of food, to postcards and even Izod sweaters at one point. Once you get used to just ignoring these people the trip becomes more enjoyable.
The only reason I didn't include the Bosphorus cruise in the "must-see" category is that you can visit nearly all the sites we saw along the shore from land, thus getting a much better view of them than we did. However, the cruise was a very enriching experience and made our trip to Istanubl an overall much better time after our rocky start. I definitely highly recommend taking this cruise. Leave a Comment Directions: Boats depart several times during the day from Eminonu, the busy port on the north shore of the Bazaar Quarter, just west of Seraglio Point.
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From Eminönü there is a ferry going up through Bosphorus to Anadolu Kavagi, stopping at a few places on the way, both on the European and on the Asian shore. The ferry leaves three times a day and a returnticket was in 2003 6 600 000 TL. From Eminönü to Anadolu Kavagi it takes 1 hour and 45 minutes.
If the weather is nice you probably want to sit outside but then you have to be early as those seats fill up quickly. Leave a Comment
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ISTANBUL BOGAZI - BOSPHORUS- AND HALIC-GOLDEN HORN
A stay in Istanbul is not complete without the traditional and unforgettable boat excursion up the Bosphorus, the winding strait that separates Europe and Asia. Its shores offer a delightful mixture of past and present, grand splendor and simple beauty. Modern hotels stand next to yali (shorefront wooden villas), marble palaces abut rustic stone fortresses, and elegant compounds neighbor small fishing villages. The best way to see the Bosphorus is to board one of the passenger boats that regularly zigzag along the shores. You embark in Eminönü and stop alternately on the Asian and European sides of the strait. The round-trip excursion, at a very reasonable cost, takes about six hours. If you wish a private voyage, you can contact one of the agencies which specialize in organizing day or night mini-cruises.
During the journey, you pass in front of the magnificent Dolmabahçe Palace; farther along rise the green parks and imperial pavilions of Yildiz Palace. On the edge of this park, on the coast, stands Çiragan Palace ,now restored as a grand hotel. Refurbished in 1874 by Sultan Abdülaziz, it stretches for 300 meters along the Bosphorus shore, its ornate marble facades reflecting the swiftly moving water. In Ortaköy, the next stop, artists gather every Sunday to exhibit their works in a streetside gallery. The variety of people create a lively scene; sample a delicious bite from one of the street vendors. In Ortaköy, there is a church, mosque and a synagogue that have existed side by side for hundreds of years - a tribute to Turkish secularism and tolerance. Overshadowing Istanbul's traditional architecture is the Bosphorus Bridge, one of the world's largest suspension bridges linking Europe and Asia.
The beautiful Beylerbeyi Palace lies just past the bridge on the Asian side. Behind the palace rises Çamlica Hill, the highest point of Istanbul. You can drive here to admire the magnificent panorama of Istanbul as well as the beautiful landscaped gardens. On the opposite shore, the wooden Ottoman villas of Arnavutköy contrast with the luxurious modern apartments of neighboring Bebek. A few kilometers farther out, facing each other across the straits like sentries guarding the city, stand the fortresses of Rumeli Hisari and Anadolu Hisari. The Göksu Palace, sometimes known as Küçüksu Palace graces the Asian shore, next to Anadolu Hisari. The second link between the two continents; the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge straddles the waterway just past the two fortresses.
From Duatepe Hill, on the European side, you can admire the magnificent panorama of the bridge and the Bosphorus. Below Duatepe, beautiful Emirgan Park bursts with color when the tulips bloom in spring. Opposite, on the Asian shore is Kanlica, a fishing village now a favored suburb for wealthy Istanbulites. Crowds gather in the restaurants and cafes along its shores to sample its famous yogurt. Shortly after Kanlica and Çubuklu is the Beykoz Korusu (Abraham Pasa Woods), a popular retreat. In the cafes and restaurants you can enjoy the delightful views and clear fresh air. On the European side, at Tarabya Bay, yachts seem to dance at their moorings. The coast road bustles with taverns and fish restaurants from Tarabya to the charming suburbs of Sariyer and Büyükdere. Sariyer has one of the largest fish markets in Istanbul and is also famous for its delicious varieties of milk puddings and börek (pastries). A little further on past Sariyer, the narrow strait widens and disappears into the Black Sea.
Haliç - The Golden Horn
This horn-shaped estuary, divides European Istanbul. One of the best natural harbors in the world, the Byzantine and Ottoman navies and commercial shipping interests were centered here. Today, lovely parks and promenades line the shores where the setting sun dyes the water a golden color. In Fener and Balat, neighborhoods midway up the Golden Horn, whole streets of old wooden houses, churches, and synagogues date from Byzantine and Ottoman times. The Orthodox Patriarchy resides here at Fener. Eyüp, a little further up, reflects the Ottoman style of vermicular architecture. Cemeteries sprinkled with dark cypress trees cover the hillsides. Many pilgrims come to the tomb of Eyüp in the hope that their prayers will be granted. The Pierre Loti Cafe, atop the hill overlooking the shrine is a wonderful place to enjoy the tranquility of the view.
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There are many places by the Bosphorus which are an absolute delight but let's focus on these few:
Ortakoy. Ortakoy is a very popular hangout place here. It's 2nd only to Taksim for nightlife, many concerts in clubs and many very trendy places indeed. But it also boasts an excellent restaurant area where you can eat outside and admire the gorgeous Ortakoy Mosque against the great Bosphorus bridge, particularly when it's lit up in the night.
Beskitas is great for shopping. Many students live here and the atmosphere is youthful and rather great amongst the pedestrianised streets. Lost of cheap shops, some restaurants and a generally nice place to hang out.. Sometimes I like to sit by the water and watch the boats as they come in.
Moda, on the Asian side (take a ferry from Besiktas), there is a charming tea garden here where you can have your Turkish tea and a truckload of sugar. Also some nice bars, good restaurants AND some of the best ice cream in Turkey! (Ali Usta). There's also a great walk along the water's edge. Very nice and quieter than other places. Leave a Comment Directions: Besiktas - Metro coming soon, but for now take the "DOLMUS" (shared taxi) from just outside Taksim Square, very cheap and quick. Ortakoy - As Beskitas, bus or dolmus Moda - Take the ferry from Besiktas to Kadikoy
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on the 3rd day we went to the waterline - there are alot of people trying to convince u to buy tickets to their ride but its very expensive - just go to platform 3 and buy the ticket there - 6.5 mill round trip
it leaves at 10:35 or 13:00 and get back at 15:00 or 17:00
we stoped at the last place - anadolu kavagi
on the way back u can slo stop at dolombache palace Leave a Comment
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The ideal walking route is starting from Besiktas /Ortakoy...
You will walk through:
Ortakoy
Kurucesme
Arnavutkoy
Bebek
Hisar
Baltalimani
Emirgan
Istinye
Yenikoy
Tarabya
The shore stretches 10 km from Ortakoy to Tarabya..
There are so many cafes,restaurants with incredible Bosphorus views.. Leave a Comment
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The Bosphorus is a narrow, navigable strait between Europe and Asia connecting the Black Sea (Pontus Euxinus) to the Marmara Sea (Propontis).
It is about 31 km and varies between 1 and 2.5 km wide. The narrowest point is 700 m / 2,300 ft between the fortresses of Rumeli and Anadolu. Swift currents make navigation difficult. The average depth is 50 m / 164 ft. Along both shores, european and asian side, are many attractions including ancient ruins, picturesque villages and forested areas. Near the southern end is the Golden Horn, the harbor of Istanbul, one of the most commodious natural harbors in the world. In ancient and medieval times almost all commerce between the Mediterranean and Black seas was routed through the strait. It is still an important artery of international trade. An average number of 38,000 ships pass through the Bosphorus annually. Leave a Comment
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If you are going between Eminönü and Anadolu Kavagi you will all the way have Europe on one side and Asia on the other. And the ferry is going back and forth between both sides. It feels quite special to look at those two continents at the same time, so close to each other.
The photo is taken leaving Anadolu Kavagi, towards the Black Sea. Leave a Comment
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"Does it ever reverse flow and go back towards the Black Sea?" This would mean that the tidal levels between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara are trying to equalize.
"No"
Well damnit. This thing always seems to flow towards the Marmara. It could be the pressure of the water flowing into the Black Sea (primarily the Volga and the Danube) forcing it out.
The best that I can figure out is that the atlases I have are lazy, leaving out a piece of info - that the Black Sea is higher than sea level.
So I have some maps on order that should tell me.
Ships, ships, ships all the time. One of the most strategically important waterways in the world. Leave a Comment
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