Thanks to its unique aspect of dividing europe and asia, the bosphorus stands as an must see landmark of istanbul with its bays, seaside mansions and fortresses.

The Myth of Bosphorus

Bosphorus Istanbul owes its name to the Thracian culture and Greek mythology. The name refers to one of the lovers of the God Zeus, who had to convert the beautiful girl to a cow against Hera’s anger. The poor cow had to swim and cross the strait but couldn’t get rid of Hera’s rage in the end. The strait is traditionally called Boğaziçi meaning inner strait which is linked to its strategic importance as it is one of the two passways between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Its width varies from 730 to 3300 meters with the depth varying between 50-120 meters. This large-scale channel has always been significant for the rulers of two continents, being always at the core of conquests. In 1453, when Sultan Mehmed II conquered Istanbul using sliding ships on the land towards the Golden Horn, Bosphorus and Istanbul started to be reigned by the Ottomans and since then it has been the symbol of the city.

Transportation Alternatives on the Bosphorus Strait

Serving as a busy international waterway, Bosphorus Strait was planned to be strengthened by a bridge in the 1970s. The Bosphorus Bridge or Boğaziçi Köprüsü was the first one opened in 1973 to connect Ortaköy and Üsküdar. Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, linking Anatolian Fortress to Rumeli Fortress, was built to alleviate the traffic in 1988. To the north of the Strait, the third one called Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge was completed in 2016 and connected Garipçe and Poyrazköy. These two latter ones also include highways for intercontinental transport. There are also two subterranean tunnels to unite the Bosphorus Strait; Marmaray is used as an underground line while Eurasia tunnel is just for automobiles. So, there are three Bosphorus Bridges and two tunnels actively used for commuter and international transport.

Fascinating Bosphorus Day Tour...

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