ISTANBUL · BOSPHORUS
The Bosphorus is the roughly 31 km strait that joins the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara and separates Europe from Asia. Istanbul’s most beautiful facades face the water, so a cruise is the easiest way to see many of the city’s landmarks in a single trip. Here is what to look out for. The exact route depends on the tour you choose.
On the European shore at Beşiktaş stands Dolmabahçe Palace, completed in 1856 and home to the last Ottoman sultans. A little further along is Çırağan Palace, another 19th-century waterfront palace that is a hotel today. Both are at their most impressive when seen from the sea.
The elegant Ortaköy Mosque (Büyük Mecidiye Mosque, 1856) sits right on the water beneath the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, the first bridge across the Bosphorus, opened in 1973. Together they form one of the most photographed views in Istanbul, and at night the bridge is lit up in changing colours.
Across the water, the white Beylerbeyi Palace was built in the 1860s as an Ottoman summer residence. The Asian shore is lined with wooden waterfront mansions called yalı, green hills and quiet fishing villages such as Çengelköy.
Further north on the European side, Arnavutköy is known for its historic wooden houses and Bebek for its sheltered bay and seafront cafés. The yalıs along this stretch, some of them centuries old, are among the most valuable homes in the city.
At the narrowest point of the strait, Rumeli Fortress (Rumelihisarı) was built in 1452 by Sultan Mehmed II, a year before the conquest of Constantinople. Facing it on the Asian side is the older Anadolu Fortress from the late 14th century. Nearby, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (1988) spans the water.
Off the Üsküdar shore, the Maiden’s Tower (Kız Kulesi) stands on its own small islet and is surrounded by legends. Behind the old harbour at Karaköy rises the Galata Tower, built by the Genoese in 1348. Both make a beautiful backdrop, especially at sunset.