ITINERARY

• We will sail to the Bosphorus from the golden horn, which is the departure point of our tour.
• The Galata Bridge (Galata Köprüsü) is a 490-metre long drawbridge found in the Golden Horn estuary, which unites the old Istanbul with its more modern area.
• Dolmabahce Palace built in 19 th century is one of the most glamorous palaces in the world. It was the administrative center of the late Ottoman Empire with the last of the Ottoman Sultans residing there. After the foundation of the Turkish Republic in Ankara, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk transferred all government functions to the youthful capital but on his visits to Istanbul Ataturk occupied only a small room at Dolmabahce Palace as his own. He stayed, welcomed his foreign guests, and made a practical center for national, historical, and language congresses and for international conferences.
• Seen from the Bosphorus cruise, the Bosphorus coastline on the European side resembles a string of villages, each with its own individual character and attractions, and indeed that’s just what it was. Located between down-to-earth Beşiktaş and chichi Kuruçeşme, Ortakoy does what its name suggests and positions itself somewhere in the middle (orta köy means ‘middle village’ in Turkish).
• The Bosphorus Bridge, or as it is known in recent years, the 15 july martyrs bridge, along with the Sultan Mehmed Bridge, the Sultan Selim Bridge is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Istanbul, and it is one of the three suspension bridges in the Bosphorus. It extends a length of 1,560 meters to connect between The European and Asian continents.
• Rumeli Castle (Rumeli Hisarı) is an Ottoman fortress dating to 1452. It was built by Ottoman sultan Mehmed II (Mehmed the Conqueror) in preparation for the conquest of Constantinople. The castle is situated on the shore of the Bosphorus Strait at its narrowest point approximately 660 meters. It is just opposite of Anadolu Castle (Anadolu Hisarı) which is another Ottoman castle built in 1394 by Bayezid I. Both Anadolu Castle and Rumeli Castle were built by Ottoman sultans in order to prevent military and economic aid to the Byzantine Empire from coming from the north, Black Sea. Thus, the Bosphorus Strait connects the Black Sea with the Marmara Sea.
• Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge is located in Istanbul Turkey. Also called the Second Bosphorus Bridge. The bridge is one of three bridges that cross the Bosphorus Strait that divides Asia and Europe. Construction of the bridge began in 1986 and in 1988 opened the bridge. The bridge is 1510 meters long and the main span is 1,090 meters
• Described by some as a miniature Dolmabahce Palace but without the crowds, the Beylerbeyi Sarayı (Beylerbeyi Palace) was commissioned by Sultan Abdülaziz to act as an imperial summer residence. With 24 rooms, 6 halls, and a hammam, it would have been quite the summer home and was also used to entertain visiting dignitaries.
• The Maiden’s Tower ( Turkish: Kız Kulesi ), also known as Leander’s Tower ( Tower of Leandros) since the medieval Byzantine period, is a tower on a small islet at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait, 200 m (220 yd) from the coast of Üsküdar neighborhood in İstanbul. It is one of the most popular landmarks and monuments of the city, with a history that spans over two millennia.
• As a natural and extremely secure harbor, the Golden Horn has played an important role in the development of Istanbul and was often the subject of attacks. With the absence of tides and currents, the Byzantine Empire had its naval headquarters in this 7,5 km long Bosphorus inlet.