Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Top Sights
The Bosphorus
This mighty strait runs from the Galata Bridge all the way
to the Black Sea (Karadeniz), 32km north. Over the centur-
ies it has been crossed by conquering armies, intrepid mer-
chants, fishermen and many an adventurous spirit. To fol-
low in their wake, hop aboard the 90-minute ferry cruise
that travels between Eminönü and Anadolu Kavağı, mar-
velling at the magnificent
yalıs
(waterside timber man-
sions), ornate Ottoman palaces and massive stone fortresses that line the Asian and
European shores (to your right and left, respectively, as you sail down the strait).
Getting There
Ferry
The Boğaz Gezileri
(Bosphorus Cruise) departs
Eminönü daily at 10.35am (one-
way/return 15/25). Extra service
at 1.35pm from April to October;
additional noon service in summer.
Don't Miss
Dolmabahçe & Çırağan Palaces
As the ferry starts its journey from Eminönü, look for the 18th-century tower of
Kız Kulesi
on a tiny island just off the Asian shore. Just before Beşiktaş, on the European shore, you'll
pass grandiose
Dolmabahçe Palace
(
Click here
). After a brief stop at Beşiktaş, the ferry
passes ornate
Çırağan Palace
(
Click here
)
, which is now a luxury hotel. Next to it is a
long yellow building occupied by Galatasaray University.
Yalıs
Both sides of the Bosphorus shore are lined with
yalıs
built by Ottoman aristocracy and
foreign ambassadors in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They are now the most prestigi-
ous addresses in town, owned by industrialists, bankers and media tycoons.
Ortaköy Mosque
The dome and two minarets of this 19th-century mosque on the European shore are
dwarfed by the adjacent
Bosphorus Bridge
, which was opened in 1973 on the 50th an-
niversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic.
