The tunnels and bridges linking Asia to Europe

This 30 km (19 mi) strait runs from the Black Sea in the north to the Sea of ​​Marmara in the south.

The city’s sprawling sprawl covers Europe to the west and Asia to the east, and geographic facts lend themselves to a romantic yet somewhat fantastical portrayal of Istanbul as a city on two continents. .

Technically yes, but the Bosporus is not the city’s only waterway. Unlike the Sea of ​​Marmara, which connects to the Aegean Sea via the narrow Dardanelles, it eventually widens inland.

Day or night, tankers and container ships can be seen along the horizon near the Princes Islands, patiently awaiting their turn to clear the shipping lanes.

Likewise, Istanbul residents are waiting in their cars, buses, trains and ferries. According to 2021 figures, Istanbul has just under 16 million people. Many people live on one side of the city and work on the other. That is, the majority of the population is always on the move.

Navigating an intricately tangled road map of a city can be chaotic at times, and it can sometimes seem strange how anyone gets anywhere, but they are roads, railroads, ships, bridges, Travel from one continent to another using tunnels. another.

Method is as follows.

15th of July Martyrs Bridge (15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü)

On July 15th, the Martyrs Bridge was the first bridge over the Bosphorus.

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Originally known as the Boğaziçi Köprüsü, or Bosphorus Bridge, this graceful structure was renamed the 15th of July Martyrs Bridge after a failed coup in 2016, but locals still affectionately called Boğaziçi Köprüsü (or First Bridge).

Until the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1973, when it opened to traffic, the only way to travel from Europe to Asia was by ferry.

An elegant new 1,560-meter (5,118-foot) steel suspension bridge allowed drivers to fly over the rapids of the Bosphorus and enjoy stunning views of Topkapi Palace and the Sea of ​​Marmara in the distance.

When first built, the bridge attracted pedestrians seeking a vantage point to admire the majestic white glow of the 19th-century Buyuk Mechedie Mosque on Ortakoy’s waterfront.

These days, the bridge is open to pedestrians only one day a year, and thousands of people sign up to run the Istanbul Marathon. The rest of the time the driver crosses him for less than 50 cents.

Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge

Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge offers spectacular views of the Bosphorus.

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The second bridge connecting the two continents opened on July 3, 1988 and was named after Fatih Sultan Mehmet, also known as Mehmet the Conqueror. He is the one who rode into the town in his 1453 and established Ottoman rule in Constantinople, then the capital of the Byzantine Empire.

Sometimes called FSM Köprüsü, this is another gravity-anchored steel suspension bridge, similar in length to the first bridge, with similar tolls.

It straddles the narrowest point of the Bosporus Strait and is said to have been built by Persian King Darius I in 512 BC.

The modern incarnation’s traffic deck hangs about 200 feet above the water, connecting Husarlustu in the west with Kavachuk in the east.

It offers spectacular views of the Bosphorus Strait, but it does not allow pedestrian access, so only drivers can appreciate it.

Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge

Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge opened in 2016.

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In 2016, a third suspension bridge across the Bosphorus near the Black Sea was opened. The ship was named after Yavuz his Sultan Selim, grandson of Mehmet the Conqueror, who made a fitting choice due to his interest in transportation. The 16th-century Sultan rebuilt his Telshanesi Ottoman fleet and the Golden Horn shipyard Halich.

Many records were broken when the bridge was completed. At 58.8 meters wide, the single-deck slab bridge is the widest suspension bridge in the world, capable of carrying eight lanes of traffic and a double-track rail line. It is also the 5th tallest bridge in the world, with a height of over 322 meters.

The bridge is designed for use by trucks and long-distance traffic to Central Anatolia and beyond, offering motorists views for miles to the Black Sea on clear days, as well as a basic car fare. is about $1.

Canakale 1915 bridge

The 1915 Canakkale Bridge has the longest suspension bridge span in the world.

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The latest cross-continental route is the impressive Çannakale 1915 Köprüsü, which stretches from Gelibolu on the European side of the Dardanelles to Lapseki in Asia.

Measuring just under 2.3 miles, it currently claims the world record for longest suspension bridge span.

The structure soars across the strait, replacing a one-hour ferry crossing (which can actually take up to five hours including waiting times) with a six-minute drive at a speed limit of 50 miles per hour.

Designed for speed over scenery and with a toll of nearly US$11 per vehicle, it’s not very popular with locals.

The bridge opened to traffic on March 18, 2022. This was done to commemorate her 1915 day when Turkey won over the Allies in the battle for control of this important waterway.

Eurasia Tunnel

The Eurasia Tunnel is one of the fastest ways to cross the Bosphorus.

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The 5.3-kilometer (3.3-mile) underwater section of the Eurasia Tunnel (Avrasya Tunelli in Turkish) is a major draw for engineering fans, but the tunnel’s main attraction is being the fastest way to travel from one side of Istanbul to the other. There is something.

With a speed limit of 70 km/h, it’s more functional than beautiful. Part of a nine-mile-long road link that connects Kazli-Cesme in Europe with Goztepe in Asia, its completion in December 2016 has cut travel time from his 100 minutes to just 15 hours.

Costing about $2.85 per car, the tunnel will also be the most practical link between the city’s two airports, Ataturk Airport and Sabiha Gokcen, allowing commercial flights from Ataturk Airport more than 27 miles northwest of the center. Taksim Square in Istanbul until it was transferred to the gigantic Istanbul Airport in Istanbul.

At around $2.85 per car, the Eurasia Tunnel is the most expensive way to cross the Bosphorus.

As with bridge crossings, toll payments are collected through Hızlı Geçiş Sistemi. Called HGS for short, the system uses a special windshield sticker that is automatically scanned as the vehicle passes through a toll booth.

It is important that you have sufficient credits in your account to cover the charges, especially if you plan to drive across the border. Any unpaid fines will not go through. please do not worry. There are handy apps you can download to track your credits and usage.

Marmaray

Construction of the Marmaray Tunnel began in 2013.

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This underground intercontinental train service has been a long time coming. In 1860, Sultan Abdulmejit I came up with the idea of ​​crossing the sea floor in the Strait, but he died before he could realize it.

Another Sultan, Abdul Hamid II, showed interest when a French engineer proposed it in 1892, but no progress was made.

More than 100 years later, there was renewed interest, and construction began on the 13.6-kilometer tunnel in 2004.

Despite the best of intentions, rail service did not open until October 29, 2013. The deadline was pushed back because nearly every meter of excavation revealed archaeological finds, some 8,000 years old.

It took another six years before all stations along the line were operational.

The tunnel connects Kazli-Cesmesi on the European side with Aililik-Cesmesh on the Asian side and descends to 200 feet below sea level at its lowest point, making it the deepest underwater tunnel in the world.

All a traveler needs to ride Marmaray is the Istanbul Card (Istanbul Kart). Available at all major public transport hubs and small kiosks around the city, it allows bearers to hop on and off all modes of public transport at will.

ferry

Ferry is the most atmospheric way to cross the Bosphorus.

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It’s not the fastest way to travel between continents, but few travel experiences are better than taking a ferry across the Bosphorus.

With your feet on the railing, your hair flowing and the skyline of Istanbul’s towering spiers in view, you sip piping hot Turkish tea and nibble on simit, sesame-covered sourdough rings.

pure heaven.

Şehir Hatlar Vapuları (City Line Ferry) was founded in 1844 during the Ottoman Empire. In addition to crisscrossing the Bosphorus, ferries sail to the Sea of ​​Marmara, the Golden Horn and the Princes Islands.

It also carries cars and passengers for short trips between Sirkeci and Harem and long trips to Bursa, Yalova and Mudanya.

Unlike buses, ferries are the epitome of the atmosphere and style of Istanbul’s public transport system.

Sure, buses go absolutely everywhere, including one route that covers 63 miles with 78 stops, but they are often uncomfortably crowded and frequently stuck in traffic. .

But it has one thing in common with Ferry. Both do not operate overnight. If you’re looking for a quick and economical way to travel from one side of the Bosphorus to the other early in the morning, a late-night minibus is the way to go.

Midnight shared minibus

Istanbul’s shared minibuses are more like dolmuses, small privately run buses that travel on a fixed route like regular buses, but can pick up and drop off passengers on demand.

Both operate on a cash basis. Dolmush is named after the Turkish word for stuffing. How many passengers you can carry depends on how many corpses you can squeeze in (that’s a lot, in case you’re wondering). Yellow minibuses, on the other hand, are limited to the number of seats available.

After spending the night on the European side of the city, partygoers head to the minibus stop in Taksim Square. Most drivers seem to have an admiration for his F1. So, as soon as I’m full, I pedal and rush home.