With a population of about 16 million people, the sprawling city of Istanbul extends on both sides of two narrow, but very important waterways: the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus Strait. 

Golden Horn – During the Byzantine period the eight kilometer-long harbor became an important trading port. Today it geographically separates the historic center of Istanbul from the rest of the city and pedestrian ferries transport many passengers each day across the channel. One sunny afternoon we rode a ferry from the west end to the Galata Bridge on the east edge of the Golden Horn. The boat zigzagged back and forth through the calm water to the many small ferry docks. The name of the harbor reflects the sometimes gold hues of the water reflecting the sun and the horn-like shape of the waterway. 

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Many of the ferry boats seamlessly travel eastward from the Golden Horn to the Bosphorus Strait. This second waterway extends 32 kilometers from the Sea of Mamara to the Black Sea. 

Bosphorus Strait – The name originates from a Greek legend. Zeus had an affair with a beautiful women named Io. When Hera, his wife, discovered the affair, she turned Io into a cow and created a horsefly to sting lo on the rump. The cow jumped clear across the strait. Bous = cow and porous = crossing place.

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Contention over ownership and governance of this narrow waterway began as far back as the Roman Empire and during World War I Russian officials knew how important the area was to controlling access to the Black Sea and their country. Now it is one of the world’s busiest commercial shipping channels. Each day more than 100 cargo vessels navigate the seven turns and strong currents during the 90-minute journey. We saw just a few of those cargo ships during our two Bosphorus cruises. 

Turkey is one of eight countries with land in two continents. During our morning and late afternoon Bosphorus boat tours we saw interesting Istanbul buildings on the Asian shoreline, as well as those on European soil. 

Sites on the Asia side of the strait

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A look at the European side of the waterway

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Dolmabahce Palace – Istanbul is called the city of palaces and Dolmabahce Palace is definitely one of the most beautiful and the largest one in Turkey. We explored the 19th century royal residence a few days before our first Bosphorus cruise. The palace’s location was originally a bay in the waterway until the 17th century. Then soil was added and the area became Dolmabahce, meaning Filled up Garden. For two hundred years Istanbul residents and visitors enjoyed the beautiful landscaping and open areas. A short while the 31st Ottoman sultan commissioned the construction of a very elaborate palace, surrounded by lush, well-manicured gardens.

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Unfortunately we were not allowed to photograph the extremely ornate interior of any buildings. Here are some interesting details to give you an idea of the grandeur and extravagance of the 45,000 square-meter palace: 1) 285 rooms, 44 halls, 68 toilets and 6 Turkish baths 2) 14 tons of gold used to decorate ceilings 3) Queen Victoria of England gave a 4.5 ton, crystal chandelier to the palace, which is the largest chandelier in the world with its 750 bulbs. Like many other visitors, our reaction was “Wow!” when we saw the massive light fixture.

A few photos of the gardens and aviary

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