Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SIGHTS
GRAND BAZAAR
| MARKET
SÜLEYMANİYE MOSQUE
| MOSQUE
SPICE BAZAAR
| MARKET
GALATA BRIDGE
OFFLINE MAP
| BRIDGE
GOOGLE MAP
(Galata Köprüsü; Eminönü, Karaköy)
To experience İstanbul at its most magical, walk across
the Galata Bridge at sunset. At this time, the historic Galata Tower is surrounded by shriek-
ing seagulls, the mosques atop the seven hills of the city are silhouetted against a soft red-
pink sky, and the evocative scent of apple tobacco wafts out of the nargile cafes under the
bridge.
During the day, the bridge carries a constant flow of İstanbullus crossing to and from
Beyoğlu and Eminönü, a handful or two of hopeful anglers trailing their lines into the wa-
ters below, and a constantly changing procession of street vendors hawking everything
from fresh-baked
simits
(sesame-encrusted bread rings) to Rolex rip-offs. Underneath, res-
taurants and cafes serve drinks and food all day and night. Come here to enjoy a beer and
nargile while watching the ferries making their way to the Eminönü and Karaköy ferry
docks.
The present, quite ugly, bridge was built in 1992 to replace an iron structure dating from
1909 to 1912, which in turn had replaced two earlier structures. The iron bridge was fam-
ous for the ramshackle fish restaurants, teahouses and nargile joints that occupied the dark
recesses beneath its roadway, but it had a major flaw: it floated on pontoons that blocked
the natural flow of water and kept the Golden Horn from flushing itself free of pollution. In
the late 1980s the municipality started to draw up plans to replace it with a new bridge that
would allow the water to flow. A fire expedited these plans in the early 1990s and the new
bridge was built a short time afterwards. The remains of the old, much-loved bridge were
moved further up the Golden Horn near Hasköy.
ÇEMBERLİTAŞ
OFFLINE MAP
| MONUMENT
