The Bosphorus (or Bosporus) is a strategic waterway located in northwestern Turkey that connects the Black Sea to the north and with the Sea of Marmara to the south, and via the Dardanelles, the Mediterranean Sea. The Bosphorus separates the European and Asian portions of Istanbul. The world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation, it measures 32 kilometers (20 miles) in length. The width varies from 730 – 3300 meters (800 – 3600 yards).

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The Bosphorus Strait viewed from the International Space Station

In 2007, I visited Istanbul and took a short cruise on the Bosphorus.  The cruise departed from the area known as the Golden Horn, a small Bosphorus estuary near the Sea of Marmara.  The area around the Golden Horn is packed with shops, restaurants and other attractions.

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Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn is a great place to sample local food from the many wonderful and inexpensive restaurants.

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Just south of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus empties into the Sea Of Marmara.

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Below is a view looking north toward the the Bosphorus Bridge, which was renamed the 15 July Martyrs Bridge to honor soldiers who defended it during the attempted coup in 2016.

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Not surprisingly, over the centuries the shores of the Bosphorus have been lined with many beautiful palaces. villas, and castles.  Scroll over photos to see the caption.

Dolmabahçe Palace served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1887 and from 1909 to 1922.
Dolmabahçe Palace
Ortakoy Mosque was built in the Neo-Baroque style between 1854 and 1856 by the same architects who designed the nearby Dolmabahçe Palace.

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Çırağan Palace, a former Ottoman palace, is now a five-star hotel in the Kempinski Hotels chain. It is located on the European shore of the Bosporus, between Beşiktaş and Ortaköy in Istanbul, Turkey. You can stay in the Sultan’s Suite for about US$35,000 per night
Rumelihisarı Castle was built between 1451 and 1452 in preparation for a planned Ottoman siege on the Byzantine city of Constantinople. Its older sister structure, Anadoluhisari sits on the opposite banks of the Bosporus, and the two fortresses worked in tandem to throttle all naval traffic along the Bosphorus, thus helping the Ottomans achieve their goal of making the city of Constantinople (later renamed Istanbul) their new imperial capital in 1453.
Anadoluhisarı Castle is sitiuated in the Beykoz district of Istanbul on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. The castle was built between 1393 and 1394 on the commission of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I.

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Bosphorus is a very busy and dangerous waterway due to many required sharp course changes.  Around 48,000 ships pass through this strait annually.  That is three times the numbers passing through the Suez Canal per year and four times greater than the annual numbers passing through the Panama Canal.

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Haydarpaşa Railway Station. Until 2012 it was the busiest railway station in Turkey and the terminus of the Paris to Istanbul Orient Express.

Final Thought

Istanbul and the Bosphorus Strait have played and continue to play strategic roles in world history and the interactions between great religions and cultures. It is worth a visit or two. Have you been or plan to visit?