The image above is a repeat of sorts. I took a very similar photo of these wedding boats way back in 2011. Here’s that image from 2011:
Now for today’s Fun Photo Friday images of Istanbul favorites:
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Tag Archives: Bosporus Strait
Fun Photo Friday — Istanbul; Bosporus Favorites
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Istanbul — Finishing Our Bosporus/Golden Horn Cruise and Exploring the Galata Bridge Area
Today I’m still covering our 21 April 2024 tour upon the Bosporus Strait and into the Golden Horn. But this time I’m showing the trip back toward the Galata Bridge as our tour boat reversed course, traded sides of the strait, and headed southwest. Toward the end of today’s article I’ll show you the area around the south end of the Galata Bridge, which Ursula and I visited after disembarking from the tour boat.
You may recall from Monday that we sailed past the Ortaköy Mosque, built around 1855. What you didn’t see is this angle of the mosque taken from the opposite side:
Next up, behold the Dolmabahçe Palace (below). This massive palace was completed in 1856, and twice served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire (1856-1887; 1902-1922).
Meanwhile, almost directly across from the Dolmabahçe Palace, on the Asian side of the Bosporus, lies the Yeni Valide Mosque (completed 1710):
And almost next door to the Yeni Valide Mosque is another much smaller one, the Şemsi Pasha Mosque completed in 1581:
Just southwest of the Şemsi Pasha Mosque is where the Golden Horn estuary branches off from the Bosporus Strait. You’ll know when you get there, because here you reach the Maiden’s Tower (Kız Kulesi). The small island upon which the tower sits has served many purposes over the centuries. It has been a customs station, a quarantine station, a garrison barracks; and the structures that have towered over it have served as lookout. The current 1725 structure served as a lighthouse.
Time to turn into the Golde Horn, where the most prominent feature is the eleven-story, 13th century Galata Tower.
But before we make that turn into the Golden Horn, let’s take another look to the north where we’ll find the Dolmabahçe Mosque (1855). The Dolmabahçe Mosque is located just southwest of the previously mentioned (and viewed) Dolmabahçe Palace:
Now our boat passes beneath the Galata Bridge, where if you look to the south you will see the New Mosque (formerly the Valide Sultan Mosque). But don’t let the “New” moniker fool you. This impressive structure dominating the skyline south of the Galata Bridge was begun in 1597 and not completed until 1665.
Here is another view of the Galata Tower and surrounding neighborhood, but this time taken from the Golden Horn side of the Galata Bridge:
I believe this next photograph depicts the Fatih Mosque:
Once you disembark in the shadows of the Galata Bridge, here’s what you’ll see immediately west of the bridge:
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Istanbul — Cruising the Bosporus and the Golden Horn
You’ll see a lot in Istanbul if you just take one of the many tour boats traversing the Bosporus and the Golden Horn. The Bosporus (also spelled Bosphorus) is a strategic strait of vital importance. It separates not only the Mediterranean (via the Aegean and Marmara seas) from the Black Sea, but also Europe from Asia.
Ursula and I have done this voyage before, so we knew to shop around for the best price. As the boat gets closer to sailing, the fare tends to go down. Tour boats accumulate near the south end of the Galata Bridge, on both the east and west side of the bridge. We embarked on our boat east of the bridge, and disembarked to the west. As for the Galata, it also demarks a separation of sorts — the Golden Horn from the Bosporus. So, let’s head on out, shall we?
As you’ll see on this trip, the Blue Mosque is not the only six-minaret mosque in Istanbul. Here is the larger and much newer (completed in 2019) Çamlıca Mosque located high up on the slopes of Çamlıca Hill on the Asian side of the Bosporus:
This next image captures both the Hagia Sophia (current building completed in 537; originally as a Greek Orthodox church) and the Blue Mosque (completed in 1609):
There is a lot of traffic on this narrow waterway as you can see in these images:
Along the journey you will see the immense Bosphorus Bridge (officially the 15 July Martyrs Bridge). Upon its completion in 1973 it was the fourth longest suspension bridge in existence.
Along the way you’ll pass many interesting structures, such as the Küçüksu Pavilion built in 1857:
Here’s a very interesting photo subject known as the Ortaköy Mosque, built around 1855:
Being such a vitally strategic strait, the Bosporus obviously warranted defense. And on this cruise you’ll see a medieval Ottoman Empire fortress built for just that purpose. This is the Rumelihisarı Fortress built in 1452:
We’ll return to this Bosporus boat tour on Wednesday, but until then I’ll leave you with two final images:
Here’s an interesting view of the Anadoluhisarı Fort (1394) and typical yali (waterfront) mansions on the Asian side of the Bosporus:
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