Bosporus: Ferries, Palaces & Shores

There are many ways to experience Istanbul — but none is as magical as from the water. The Bosporus is 30 km long and between 700 meters and 3.3 kilometers wide. Its shores are lined with Ottoman palaces, wooden villas (Yalıs), mosques, fortresses, and fishing villages — a backdrop like no other.

The Public Bosporus Ferry

The Şehir Hatları Bosporus Tour is the best way to experience the Bosporus — and the most affordable. The ferry departs from the Eminönü Pier and travels up the Bosporus to Anadolu Kavağı (on the Black Sea), with stops on both sides. The full tour (round trip) takes about 6 hours, the short tour 2 hours.

What You See from the Water

• Dolmabahçe Palace: The opulent Baroque palace (1856) on the European shore — successor to the Topkapı as the Sultan's residence. 285 rooms, 43 salons, a 4.5-ton crystal chandelier.
• Ortaköy Mosque: The most photogenic mosque in Istanbul — a delicate Baroque mosque right by the water, with the Bosporus Bridge as a backdrop.
• Rumeli Hisarı: The massive fortress (1452) that Sultan Mehmed II had built in just 4 months to prepare for the siege of Constantinople. 3 towers, 13 small towers — the best-preserved Ottoman fortress.
• Yalıs: The historic wooden villas on the Bosporus — some of the most expensive real estate in the world. Many date from the 18th/19th century and are in various stages of decay or restoration.
• Bosporus Bridges: Three bridges span the Bosporus — the 15 July Martyrs Bridge (1973), the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (1988), and the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge (2016).

The former fishing villages on the European Bosporus shore are now Istanbul's most beautiful promenades: Each village has its own character, its own cafés, and its own view of the water.

Ortaköy

Ortaköy is famous for two things: the Ortaköy Mosque (Büyük Mecidiye Camii, 1856) — a Baroque jewel right by the water, with the Bosporus Bridge as a backdrop — and Kumpir: giant baked potatoes loaded with 20 different fillings (cheese, sausage, corn, olives, couscous, Russian salad) at stalls along the shore. Price: 3–5€. The perfect combination: eat Kumpir, photograph the mosque, sit by the shore.

Bebek

Bebek is Istanbul's most elegant Bosporus village: a horseshoe-shaped bay with luxury villas, a marina, and a promenade made for strolling. Here, Istanbulites have breakfast on weekends — Kahvaltı with a Bosporus view in one of the cafés along the waterfront. The Bebek Promenade leads from the bay to the Rumeli Hisarı fortress (30 min. walk) — one of the most beautiful walks in Istanbul.

• Bebek Kahve: Legendary café since 1940 — watch the Bosporus bustle over Turkish coffee. 2–3€ for a coffee.
• Boğaziçi Üniversitesi: The campus of Turkey's most prestigious university is located above Bebek — a green hill with a panoramic view.

Arnavutköy

Arnavutköy is the most photogenic village on the Bosporus: Pastel-colored Ottoman wooden houses (Yalıs) line the water, with steep alleys rising behind them. The village has retained its fishing character — here you will find excellent fish restaurants (with a Bosporus view, of course) and an atmosphere reminiscent of Istanbul before the tourism boom.

The Dolmabahçe Sarayı (1856) is the most opulent palace in Istanbul — and a counterpart to the Topkapı in every respect. While the Topkapı Palace is Ottoman-Islamic and introverted, the Dolmabahçe flaunts European Baroque, Rococo, and Empire: Sultan Abdülmecid I wanted to prove that the Ottoman Empire could keep up with European monarchies.

The Numbers

• 285 rooms and 43 salons
• 4.5-ton crystal chandelier in the throne room — a gift from Queen Victoria
• 14 tons of gold used for gilding the ceilings
• 600 meters of shoreline directly on the Bosporus — one of the longest palace facades in the world

What You See

The palace can only be visited with a guided tour (approx. 90 min.). You will see the Selamlık (reception area) with the massive throne room, the Harem (private quarters of the Sultan's family), and the gardens on the Bosporus. The bedroom where Atatürk died on November 10, 1938, is a place of silence — the clock is stopped at 9:05, the time of death.

Practical Information