It is separated from Europe by the Bosphorus Strait. The Bosphorus Strait on the world map - the strait between the black and marble seas - the strait between Europe and Asia

Traveling to different countries, every tourist wants to see the most beautiful places and breathtaking landscapes. In this case, your vacation will be memorable. One of the most popular tourist countries is Türkiye. There are many attractions here. However, the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul deserves special attention. What a walk awaits travelers along this magnificent strait, interesting facts and reviews - all this will be discussed further.

general description

If one of these names is mentioned, the second one immediately comes to mind. Istanbul is the ancient capital of three empires. These are such powerful states as Byzantium, Ancient Rome, and the Ottoman Empire. This city stands at the border of Eastern and Western civilizations. Their culture and flavor here are inextricably linked and intricately intertwined.

To immerse yourself in the special atmosphere of this ancient city, you should definitely go for a walk along the Bosphorus Strait. This is the main waterway in Istanbul. It is both the heart of the city and its main symbol. This strait holds many secrets.

Taking a Bosphorus cruise in Istanbul, you can feel how dependent the city is on this waterway. He draws from it not only physical, but also spiritual strength. Therefore, the ancient city and the strait are one. They live for many years, merging inextricably into a single whole. A tourist who comes to this country should definitely go on a trip along the most beautiful strait, which is the Bosphorus. There is an ancient legend about his appearance.

According to legend, the strait that now separates Europe from Asia appeared in ancient times. Its name is symbolic. Tradition says that the legal wife of Zeus, Hera, wanted to shed her anger on yet another lover of her husband. Her name was Io. Zeus wanted to save her. So he turned Io into a white cow. This is how she managed to escape from Greece. Her path was directed precisely through this strait. That's why it was called "cow ford". Translated, this name sounds like Bosphorus.

Geographical information

A boat trip along the Bosphorus in Istanbul will be an unforgettable experience. This is a vast waterway, which, together with the Sea of ​​Marmara and the Dardanelles Strait, divides modern Turkey into European and Asian parts. Its length is about 30 km. The width varies significantly. In some places it reaches only 700 m. At its widest point, the strait is 6 km. The length and width of the Bosphorus is 2 times less than that of the Dardanelles Strait. However, the beauty of this reservoir is amazing. In Turkey it is called Istanbul Bogazi. This translated means "Istanbul Strait".

The Bosphorus Strait connects the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Marmara. Through the Dardanelles Strait the reservoir communicates with the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. Therefore, commercial and oil ships and cruise and passenger ships regularly sail through the strait.

The water in it is salty and desalinated. It moves through the strait from the Black Sea to the Sea of ​​Marmara. The waters then flow into the Mediterranean Sea. This is a unique water system. The river valley is very old. It is flooded with water from the sea. At the same time, there are two opposing currents here. The lower one carries salt water. The upper course is desalinated.

The view of the Bosphorus in Istanbul is so picturesque that tourists cannot resist the opportunity to take pictures against the backdrop of this natural attraction. Boat trips are very popular here. At the same time, the history of the strait and its bridges is very interesting. This reservoir was formed over many decades.

First Bridge

One of the main attractions is the Bosphorus Bridge. It has a long interesting history. There is another bridge here. It's more modern. It is called the Sultan Fatih Bridge. A third bridge was recently built across the Bosphorus.

However, the history of the oldest communication across the reservoir deserves special attention. Attempts to connect the two banks of the strait were made by mankind several thousand years ago. A similar enterprise was dated to 490 BC. e. The Persian ruler Darius wanted to cross the Bosporus. He wanted to transport his large army across this water barrier. However, this caused a number of problems.

To carry out his grandiose plans, Darius ordered a resident of Samos, whose name was Mandrocles, to build a temporary bridge here. The ancient engineer completed the task assigned to him. He tied several thousand boats connected with ropes, a pontoon. It was a grandiose building for that time. It was enormous in size.

The Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul today is, of course, significantly different from the ancient structures. However, humanity’s attempts to come up with a land crossing across the strait are impressive. An army of 70 thousand fully equipped soldiers was able to cross across the first ancient pontoon bridge to the other side. The construction did not last long. People could only get to the other side by boat.

Subsequent projects

A bridge across the Bosphorus in Istanbul was needed. The rulers of the past clearly understood this. They began to think seriously about the construction of such a communication during the Russian-Turkish War (1877-1878). Projects of a similar design have been created. However, construction was delayed. It was only in 1931 that the construction of the bridge was planned. Istanbul, once the capital of the Ottoman Empire, has now become a developed city. Its authorities sought to create new infrastructure. New residential areas and industrial facilities appeared. In such conditions, the city urgently needed the construction of a bridge.

During this period, many innovative projects were created to industrialize Istanbul. One of them was the plan to build the first transport route across the Bosphorus. It was a suspension bridge, the example of which was the construction in San Francisco. However, even at this time the project stopped at the development stage. It was never created.

Bridge construction

Only in the 70s of the last century was the first modern communication between the two banks of the strait built. The first stone in the bridge construction process was laid at the end of February 1970. The creation of this grandiose structure was entrusted to a Turkish company and two foreign companies. These were construction organizations in Germany and England.

35 well-known highly qualified engineers, as well as 400 builders, worked on the creation of the bridge. The process dragged on for 3 years. Construction cost the Turkish government more than $200 million. The opening of the first bridge was celebrated on October 29, 1073. This date coincided with the half-century anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

The length of the bridge over the Bosphorus (Istanbul) is such that it allowed the structure to take 13th place in the ranking of similar buildings in the world. Its opening was a grand event. It was so important for the country that the President of the Republic Fahti Kortyuk personally came to the ceremony to celebrate this event. Prime Minister Mehmet Naim Talu was also present at the opening of the bridge.

Bridge Features

It should be said that other bridges across the Bosphorus were subsequently built. But the first structure turned out to be the most grandiose. Its capacity remains the largest today. More than 200 thousand cars pass through it every day. During this time, more than 600 thousand passengers are transported across the bridge. The length of the bridge is 1560 m, and the main span is 1074 m. The width of this grandiose structure is 33 m. The distance from the water to the roadway is 64 m. The height of the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul is 165 m. This distance is determined at the highest point of the structure.

There is a toll to cross the bridge today. Pedestrians are not allowed here. You can cross the bridge only by transport.

With the construction of this great bridge, the goal of not only the Turkish government, but also many residents and visitors of this country was achieved. The great rulers of Antiquity could only dream of building such a large-scale facility. Modern technologies have made it possible to translate plans nurtured over the years into reality.

The bridge allows you to get from one part of the world to another in a few minutes. Since the strait had never seen such structures before, the structure was called the first Bosphorus Bridge. It has 3 lanes for traffic in both directions. One of them is reserved for emergency services. This is not only a unique, but also a beautiful design of the strait.

Bridges

The Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul today has several bridges and tunnels. They are designed for various types of transport. The first Bosphorus Bridge was renamed in 2016. Today it is called the “Bridge of the 15 June Martyrs”. This decision was made to honor the memory of the victims who died as a result of the coup attempt.

The second bridge is now operational. It is called Sultan Fatih Bridge. This structure was built at the narrowest point of the strait. Here the reservoir is only 660 m wide. This connection was opened in 1988. The event was timed to coincide with the conquest of Istanbul, which took place 535 years ago. The length of this bridge is 1510 m. But the width of this structure is greater than that of the previous building. It is 39 m. The height of the roadway is 64 m above the water level.

Tourists claim that these bridges are worth seeing in the evening. They are especially beautiful at night. The bridges are illuminated with a huge number of light bulbs. This gives them a special romantic charm and charm.

Relatively recently, a decision was made to build a third bridge across the Bosphorus. It is called the Sultan Selim the Terrible Bridge. Construction began in 2013. The structure was erected in 2016. The opening of the movement took place on August 26, 2016. This structure is located north of Istanbul. In 2017, the building was renamed. Nowadays it is called the Sultan Selim Yavuz Bridge. It is part of the Northern Marmari ring road.

The design is combined. One part of it is supported by cables, and the other by cables and cables. In the middle the bridge is suspended on cables. This is the widest suspension bridge in the world. There are only 8 lanes for traffic here. There are also 2 tracks for train movement. The height of the pylons is also a record. It is 322 m.

Tunnels

The Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul also provides communication between the banks using tunnels. The first of them is called “Marmariy”. This is a train service that runs in a tunnel underwater. Its construction began in 2004. The opening of the tunnel took place on October 29, 2013.

The length of the Marmari tunnel is 9.8 km. The underwater part is 1.4 km. The tunnel is located at different depths. Railway vehicles pass through here. At its deepest point, the tunnel is 60 km from the surface.

The second no less important connection today is the Eurasian Tunnel. It was opened on December 20, 2016. Its length is inferior to the first tunnel. It reaches 5.4 km. Directly under the Bosphorus lies 3.34 km of this link. If we take into account the length of the access roads, the Eurasian Tunnel is longer than the Marmari Tunnel. Its total length is 14.6 km.

The Eurasian tunnel lies at a depth of 106 km. This tunnel is intended for bus and road transport. Freight transport is not allowed here.

Attractions

Bosphorus tours in Istanbul involve visiting various attractions. You can go for a walk by public transport (vapurah). Also, regular ships, pleasure boats and yachts, and steamships constantly circulate along the water surface. Huge tourist liners also come here.

A walk along the Bosphorus in Istanbul will be unforgettable. On one of the pleasure boats you can explore both its banks. The population density here is quite high. You can create a route yourself, based on the schedule of city ships.

One of the places frequently visited by tourists is the Maiden Tower. It is located on a small island. Here the strait connects with the Sea of ​​Marmara. Palace complexes and luxurious villas from the Ottoman Empire are located almost right next to the water. Today these are the most luxurious hotels in Istanbul.

At the narrowest point of the strait, two fortresses stand opposite each other on both sides. These are Rumeli Hisary and Anadolu Hisary. The architecture is mesmerizing. Numerous tourists love to enjoy the spectacular landscapes.

Halic Bay

It is recommended to complement a walk along the Bosphorus in Istanbul with a visit to the Golden Horn Bay. It is also called Khalich. It is located on the European part of the strait. The great ancient city of Byzantium once existed here. It was also the capital of the Roman Empire. The city was also called Constantinople.

A favorite place for tourists here is the fishing boats where they cook freshly caught fish. A local delicacy is balyk-ekmek. This is red mullet served with bread. Fried anchovy is also popular among tourists.

Having examined the features and attractions of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, you can go on a trip along this magnificent strait. This time will be pleasant and unforgettable.

Between Europe and the peninsula in western Asia (Asia Minor) there is a zone of two straits: the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. The distance between them is 190 km...

From Masterweb

Where is the Bosphorus Strait? Why is he interesting? We will talk about this in our article.

Between Europe and the peninsula in western Asia (Asia Minor) there is a zone of two straits: the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. The distance between them is 190 km. The Bosphorus (Istanbul Strait) connects the Black and Marmara seas. The Dardanelles Strait connects the Sea of ​​Marmara and the Aegean Sea. The length of this body of water is 120 km.

The Bosphorus Strait has been an important strategic asset for Russia since ancient times.

The emergence of a strait

Geomorphologists (scientists who study the Earth's topography) believe that the water space between the seas arose approximately 7,500 years ago. In those days, the Black and Marmara seas were not connected to each other, since the water level was much lower compared to the present geographical location.

During the Ice Age, a huge mass of ice and snow melted, causing the water level to rise significantly, forming a strait between these seas. Now the Bosphorus is a depression of the earth's surface flooded with water, more than 30 km long.

It is noteworthy that this is the only strait in Europe in which there are two currents: the upper desalinated one from the Black Sea to the Marble Sea, and the salty (lower) one flowing from the Marble Sea to the Black Sea. This natural phenomenon was discovered in 1881 by oceanographer and vice admiral Stepan Makarov.

Legend associated with the name of the strait

Bosphorus has many legends offering their own explanations for the origin of the name. The most common myth that has survived to our time says that the god of sky and thunder, Zeus, fell in love with Io (the daughter of the ancient Greek river god Inachus). Zeus's wife Hera (goddess of the hearth) suspected her husband of infidelity, and he, to save his beloved from his wife's curse, turned Io into a white cow. Hera liked this animal and decided to take it for herself. Thus, Io became a slave who was tied to a tree. After some time, Zeus freed Io, but Hera, not coming to terms with this, sent a poisonous wasp to her. The cow girl, fleeing from the bite, rushed into the water of the strait, which, thanks to legend, was called the “cow ford” or Bosporus.

Scientific origin of the name "Bosphorus"

Historians suggest that the word comes from two ancient Greek words. “Bos” is translated as a bull or cow, and “poros” is a ford, a passage. The phrase “bosporos” was eventually changed to “bosphoros”, and then to “Bosphorus”, which, as we already know, translates as “cow ford”.

History of the Bosphorus

We found out where the Bosphorus Strait is. Now let's talk about its history. Since the ten-year Trojan War, which, according to historians, took place in the period of the 13th-12th centuries before our chronology, the Bosporus has been the cause of many international military conflicts.

After the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottoman Empire in 1453, Turkish rulers built various fortifications in the form of fortresses, villas and residences on the banks of the strait.

At the end of the 17th century, the Russian Empire gained a foothold on the coasts of the Black and Azov Seas. At this time, a problem related to the Bosphorus Strait arose.

The main reason was that the Bosphorus coast belonged to Turkey, and for many centuries the Turkish government unilaterally decided the issue of the passage of Russian ships from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. This situation was the cause of armed conflicts between Turkey and Russia.

In 1774, in the village of Kuchuk-Kainardzha (now the territory of Bulgaria), a peace treaty was signed, on the basis of which Empress Catherine II ended the six-year war with Turkey (1768-1774) and Russian ships received the right of free passage through the strait to the Mediterranean Sea. It is noteworthy that, according to the agreement, Russia could now create its own Black Sea Fleet.

After the end of hostilities of the First World War, the Bosphorus became a neutral zone under the control of the first international organization - the League of Nations. Now the Bosphorus Strait is considered the “open sea” for all countries of the world. But Turkey retained the right to restrict the passage through it of ships of countries that are not included in the Black Sea zone and the passage of warships of any state in peacetime.

Communications of the modern strait

At all times, the passage of ships through the Bosphorus Strait has been associated with difficulties: the passage is quite narrow for sea ships and has a winding configuration that follows the line of the coast.

But, thanks to the lighthouses installed in large numbers, there were no significant disasters involving human casualties in the Bosphorus Strait. Now its banks are connected by three bridges and two tunnels.

In 2016, the construction of a road-railway bridge (1,410 meters) was completed, which was erected in the northern part of the water area. The bridge bears the name of the ninth Turkish Sultan - Selim the Terrible. The automobile transport structure across the strait (1,100 meters) was built in 1988 and is considered the second suspension bridge, located at a height of 165 m above the water surface.

The first is a bridge called the Bosphorus Bridge. It was erected in 1973 and has a span of 1,075 meters. In addition to bridges, two underground structures are currently functioning.

This is a railway tunnel (“Marble”), 13.5 km long, which opened in 2013. And automobile. It was opened two years later. Its length is 14.5 km. The peculiarity of this underground structure is that 5.5 km pass under the strait at a depth of more than 105 meters.

The Legend of the Dardanelles

The ancient Greeks called this strait “Hellespont”, which in translation sounds like “the sea of ​​Gella” and is associated with an ancient legend that says that the son of King Aeolus (lord of the Aeolian Islands) had two children - the son Phrixus and the daughter Gella, who after death mothers were raised by their evil stepmother Ino.

When they grew up, the stepmother decided to destroy her husband’s children. The king's daughter and son tried to escape on a flying ram. During the flight, Gella, unable to hold on to the golden ram's wool, fell into the sea and died. Since then, it bore her name - “the sea of ​​Gella”. The strait received its modern name thanks to the city of Dardaney, which once stood on the shores of the Dardanelles Strait.

History of the Dardanelles

In the 5th century BC. e. The territory of the strait was the scene of the Greco-Persian wars. At that time, the Persian king Xerxes I ordered the construction of a bridge across the Dardanelles in order to cross troops for the invasion of Greece.

Two bridges were built from interconnected sea vessels: the first bridge consisted of 360 ships, the second of 314. Thanks to this, Persian troops fought across Europe.

In 334 BC, the strait was used by the troops of Alexander the Great. They made a successful crossing. After which the commander began his historic campaign in Asia.

At the end of the 17th century, part of the territory of the coast of the Azov and Black Seas became part of the Russian Empire. The use of the straits has become a key issue at the international level. Possession of them is a long-standing dream of Russia. The Bosporus and Dardanelles straits opened up the possibility of domination over the most important sea communications.

In 1841, an agreement was signed in London. It stated that passage through the Dardanelles would be closed to warships in peacetime. In 1936, in the city of Montreux (Switzerland), with the participation of the Black Sea countries, an agreement was concluded in which it was noted that the straits (Dardanelles and Bosporus) received the status of “open sea” for ships of all countries.

The main provision of the Convention is that the Republic of Turkey retains the right to close the straits during any military operations in Eurasia. Since 2017, preparatory work began in Turkey for the construction of a suspension bridge across the Dardanelles Strait.

The bridge is 2,025 meters long

The man-made structure, 2,025 meters long, will be considered the longest bridge in the world. Now several specially equipped ships of the Turkish fleet have begun drilling the sea soil to install the load-bearing elements of the bridge structure.

The construction of the Çanakkale 1915 Bridge (as this structure will be called) should be completed by 2023. The name of the future bridge is associated with the victory of the military formations of the Ottoman Empire over the troops of the Entente countries in 1916 (Dardanelles operation).

In conclusion, we offer some interesting facts about the Bosphorus Strait.

1. For the first time in the entire history of urban planning, the shores of Europe and Asia were connected by an underground railway tunnel. Part of it runs along the bottom of the Bosphorus Strait.
2. This project was proposed by architects during the Ottoman Empire, but it could only be implemented in our time, using modern technologies.
3. During the construction of the railway track, a Byzantine port of the 4th century BC was discovered.
4. The Bosphorus is considered the narrowest strait in the world, which is used by sea ships to pass from Europe to Asia and back.
5. The width of the Bosphorus Strait is 800–1,700 meters. The average depth is 65–70 meters.

Dardanelles. Interesting Facts

Here are some interesting facts about the Dardanelles.

1. In 1810, the English poet George Byron swam across the Dardanelles, and thereby repeated the feat of the ancient Greek hero Leander, who swam across the strait every night to meet his beloved Hera, who lived on the opposite bank. In 2010, in honor of this event, a mass swim took place along the poet’s route, 1.7 km long, and taking into account drift downstream - 5 km.
2. During World War II, Turkey did not engage in hostilities (neutrality). At this time, the Dardanelles was closed to all warring countries.
3. The Turkish government is calling for a reconsideration of the agreement signed in Montréal in 1936.
4. This is due to the recent increase in accidents of tankers carrying oil products, which, if the ship is damaged, pollutes the waters of the strait.
5. In 2011, Turkish archaeologist Rastim Aslan, during excavations on the territory of the ancient city of Canakkale, discovered a settlement at the bottom of the strait that existed approximately 5 thousand years ago.
6. The banks of the Dardanelles have a steep, winding topography. Geologists explain this by the fact that in ancient times there was a river bed at the site of the strait, which was flooded by the waters of the Aegean Sea as a result of the lowering of part of the land relative to the level of the Earth’s water shell.

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The Bosphorus Strait on the map divides Europe with Asia and connects the Black and Marmara Seas. The largest Turkish metropolis, Istanbul (ancient Constantinople), stretches along both its banks.

The width of the Bosphorus Strait is more than 3.7 km, and the length is about 30 km. The depth of the Bosphorus in the fairway is from 30 to 80 m. For several centuries this strait has been called the soul of Istanbul.

The ancient name of the Bosphorus Strait is cow or bull ford. According to legend, the daughter of the king and the god of rivers, whose name was Io, became the beloved of Hercules. But he was afraid that his wife Hera would be angry, so he turned the unfortunate Io into a cow, and she disappeared into the waters of the strait.

The Bosphorus Strait is the soul of Istanbul

This ancient city, by the very fact of its existence, divides and connects such different human civilizations of the West and the East: Rome and Byzantium, Europe and Asia, Christianity and Islam.

The greatness of Constantinople (Constantinople), its ancient temples and palaces are reflected in the waters of the Bosphorus. It juxtaposes the ruins of fortresses and modern skyscrapers of Istanbul, creating a truly unique spectacle.

Story

Scientists believe that the Bosphorus Strait appeared about eight thousand years ago. In those distant times, the water level in the Black and Marmara seas was much lower, and they were not connected to each other.

But during the massive melting of snow and ice at the end of the Ice Age, this level in the World Ocean in general, and in the Black and Marmara Seas in particular, rose significantly, and a huge flow of water connected them.

According to scientists, at first there was a river valley on the site of the Bosphorus Strait, which was later flooded with sea water. Admiral Makarov in the 19th century established two currents in the strait: fresh from the Black Sea and salty from.

Archaeologists on the slopes of the Bosphorus in the 20th-21st centuries discovered ancient cities that were flooded thousands of years ago. Historians believe that the end of the last Ice Age and the appearance of the Bosphorus gave rise to the myth of the Great Flood, set out in the Old Testament.

What is the Bosphorus for Turkey? Thanks to this strait, the countries of the Black Sea region are provided with access to the Mediterranean Sea. Half of Turkey's GDP comes from the Bosphorus. This is its strategic and economic significance.

The Bosphorus Strait is considered one of the most difficult to navigate in the world, because... characterized by a high intensity of ships and vessels moving there, strong currents and rapid changes in weather conditions in winter and spring.

In Turkey, the fast current in the strait is called devilish. It usually accelerates especially at the beginning of spring, when the snow melts in the Danube basin. Melt water flows along the shores of the strait, seething and boiling in boilers in the narrowest places.

Today, the Turkish authorities are planning to solve the problem of the heavy congestion of the Bosphorus by building an oil pipeline about 100 km long. But all projects so far remain exclusively on paper.

Shores of the Bosphorus

Here, every city dweller can endlessly admire ancient marble palaces, stone fortresses, wooden Turkish yalis (mansions near the sea) and ultra-modern hotels.

Yali is a wooden multi-storey house built at the very edge of the sea. These buildings from the 17th century have survived to this day and today have become restaurants, hotels and houses where the local nobility live today.

To fully experience the beauty of this strait, you should travel on a tourist ship or ferry. You will surely get extraordinary pleasure from this walk.

Istanbul will open before you in all its beauty and oriental unusualness. And Russian tourists will certainly feel at the subconscious level the Byzantine essence of ancient Constantinople with its Christian traditions.

You will see how Istanbul lights up its lights among the ships and ferries of the Bosphorus. Hear the voices of the mullahs calling their flock to daily prayer at Hagia Sophia, which today is a mosque.

You can see all this from board a ferry, cruise ship or yacht from Eminonu to Anadolu Kavagi. At the end of the trip, you can go ashore, walk along it and return back using the same ticket.

Crossing the Bosphorus by ferry is a real adventure. Ferries in Istanbul are different: regular and tourist, expensive and cheap. You can cross the strait on a regular ferry in half an hour; a voyage on a tourist ferry will take much longer.

Exploring Istanbul and the Bosphorus by ferry or boat in the evening is the most exciting experience. It is at this time that the city and the strait, painted with a scarlet sunset, are the most mysterious and unusual.

Attractions near the Bosphorus Strait

Bosphorus Bay - Golden Horn

There are many bays in the Bosphorus, but the Golden Horn is considered the best. In its shape it really looks like a horn, and its banks are as winding as the shores of the Bosphorus. The Golden Horn has many excellent anchorages for yachts and ships, and the waters are clean and clear.

This bay is protected from strong winds; the mild Turkish winter comes here in December, and there is almost never snow. The best time to visit the Golden Horn is the velvet season, which lasts throughout the fall.

According to legend, the first bridge across the Bosphorus was erected by King Darius of Persia. He melted down his 700,000-strong army here using a system of rafts and ships. But this unique engineering structure did not help him; Darius’s army was destroyed by the Scythians.

Today, the banks of the Bosphorus and Istanbul, which lies on them, are connected by 3 bridges and 2 tunnels:

1. Bosphorus Bridge, built in the early seventies of the 20th century;
2. the Sultan Mehmed Fatih Bridge, operating since the late eighties of the last century;
3. the Sultan Selim the Terrible Bridge, commissioned just a few years ago;
4. the Marmaray Tunnel, over 13 km long, connecting the Istanbul railway system;
5. the Eurasia tunnel is more than 14 km long, part of which is located at a depth of more than 100 meters.

Options

The length of the strait is about 30 km. The maximum width of the strait is 3700 m (in the north), the minimum is 700 meters. The depth of the fairway is from 33 to 80 m.

Emergence

Name

According to one of the most widespread legends, the strait got its name thanks to the daughter of the ancient Argive king - the beautiful beloved of Zeus named Io was turned by him into a white cow to avoid the wrath of his wife Hera. Unhappy Io chose the water route to salvation, diving into the blue of the strait, which has since been called the “cow ford” or Bosphorus.

Meaning

The Bosphorus is one of the most important straits, as it provides access to the Mediterranean Sea and the world's oceans in large parts of Russia, Ukraine, the countries of Transcaucasia and southeastern Europe. In addition to agricultural and industrial products, oil from Russia and the Caspian region plays a large role in exports through the Bosphorus.

The Bosphorus Strait occupies a special place among the famous most difficult straits in the world due to the intense traffic of transit ships, ferry crossings, small ships, currents of up to 6 knots and sudden weather changes in the autumn-winter period. Many shipping companies recommend that captains use pilots for transit passage of the Bosphorus Strait. Transit speed in the strait should be no more than 10 knots. For passage through the straits, a lighthouse fee is charged in the amount of about one thousand dollars, depending on the class of the vessel.

The solution to the problem of the passage and congestion of the strait is proposed in the form of the construction of a shipping canal to the west of Istanbul with a length of 50 to 100 km.

Communications

The banks of the strait are connected by three bridges and two tunnels (from north to south):

Story

As part of the only passage between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, the Bosphorus is of great importance in trade and military affairs. Its control was the goal of a number of conflicts, notably the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) and the Allied attacks on the Dardanelles during the 1915 Battle of Gallipoli during the First World War.

Ancient Greek, Persian, Roman and Byzantine eras (before 1453)

The Greek city-state of Athens in the 5th century BC. BC, dependent on grain imports from Scythia, maintained allied relations with cities that controlled the straits, such as Byzantium.

During its heyday between the 16th and 18th centuries, the Ottoman Empire used the strategic importance of the Bosporus to expand its regional ambitions and establish control over the entire Black Sea, which they considered the "Ottoman lake".

Subsequently, several international treaties regulated the passage of ships in these waters. According to the Treaty of Günkar Iskelesi of July 8, 1833, the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits were to be closed at the request of Russia to sea vessels of other powers. Under the terms of the London Convention of the Straits, concluded on 13 July 1841 between Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Austria and Prussia, the "ancient rule" of the Ottoman Empire was restored by closing the Turkish Straits to all warships except those of the Sultan's allies in time of war.

Turkish Republican era (1923–present)

At the beginning of the 21st century, the Turkish straits became especially important for the oil industry. Russian oil is exported by tankers primarily to Western Europe and the United States through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. In 2011, Turkey planned a 50 km canal through Silivri as a second waterway.

see also

• Kerch Strait (in Ancient Greece it was called the Cimmerian Bosporus)

Notes

1. // Small Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 4 volumes - St. Petersburg. , 1907-1909.
2. Kravchuk P. A. Records of nature. - L.: Erudite, 1993. - 216 p. - 60,000 copies. - ISBN 5-7707-2044-1., With. 22
3. Bosphorus // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.
4. Grinevetsky S. R., Zonn I. S., Zhiltsov S. S. Black Sea Encyclopedia. M.: International Relations, 2006. P. 94.
5. Bosphorus (undefined) . MIDSHIPS.RU. - Marine Catalog-Directory. Retrieved February 26, 2013. Archived March 9, 2013.
6. “Cow Ford” - the history of the formation of the Bosphorus (undefined) . geosfera.info. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
7. //

The length of the Bosphorus is about 30 km, width from 0.7 to 6 km., and the length of the Dardanelles Strait is 65 kilometers and the width is from 1.3 to 3.7 km. The Bosphorus Strait connects the Black Sea with the Sea of ​​Marmara, and then through the Dardanelles with the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, so merchant ships, passenger liners and oil tankers regularly pass through the Bosphorus. Connecting Europe and Asia, Bosphorus moves desalinated-salty waters from the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea, and further to the Mediterranean. The Bosphorus is unique in many respects - it is an old river valley, which is flooded with sea water and has two oppositely directed currents: the desalinated upper and salty lower.

Bridges and tunnels across the Bosphorus

Bosphorus, is the meeting place of two continents - Europe and Asia. Bridges across the strait, the Eurasian Tunnel and the Marmaray railway tunnel under the Bosphorus, connect these two continents.

First Bridge through the Bosphorus Strait, connecting the European and Asian parts of Istanbul Bosphorus Bridge. The official opening of the bridge took place in 1973, on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic. The length of the bridge is 1560 meters, width 33, and the height of the roadway above the water is 64 meters. It is open to pedestrians only once a year - during the Istanbul Intercontinental Marathon. In 2016, the Bosphorus Bridge was renamed the “Bridge of July 15 Martyrs” in memory of those killed in the coup attempt.

Second Bosphorus Bridge

Second Bridge (Sultan Mehmed Fatih Bridge), built on a place where the width of the strait is minimal (660 m). The official opening of the bridge took place in 1988, on the 535th anniversary of the conquest Istanbul. The length of the bridge is 1510 meters, the width is 39, and the height of the roadway above the water, like the first bridge, is 64 meters. Don't forget to look at the two Bosphorus. When dusk falls, they are illuminated by thousands of lamps, creating an even more romantic atmosphere.

Third Bosphorus Bridge

The bridge crosses the Bosphorus in its northern part, at the exit to the Black Sea. Construction of the structure began in May 2013, and the opening ceremony took place on August 26, 2016. The Third Strait Bridge is named after Sultan Yavuz Selim. The bridge has eight car lanes, four in each direction, and two railway lines between them. The total length of the bridge is 2164 meters, the length of the main span is 1408 meters. The height of the bridge is 322 meters, width – 59 meters.

Bosphorus underwater structures

Underwater railway tunnel "Marmaray"

The four-lane Marmaray underwater railway tunnel, whose construction began in 2004, was officially opened on October 29, 2013. The total length of the tunnel is 9.8 km, the length of the underwater part is 1.4 km, and the deepest section of the tunnel is 60 meters from the surface of the Bosphorus. The railway tunnel, with a total length of 13.6 km, is designed to transport 1.5 million passengers per day.

Eurasian tunnel

On December 20, 2016, the Eurasian Tunnel was officially opened in Istanbul. The total length of the tunnel is 5400 meters, of which 3340 meters lie under the Bosphorus. Together with the access roads, the total length of the tunnel is 14.6 kilometers, and the maximum depth is 106 meters. The tunnel is intended for the passage of cars and minibuses.

Main attractions of the Bosphorus

Population density on both banks Bosphorus high. Its waters are constantly plied by regular city transport ships (vapurs), pleasure boats, steamships with tourists, private yachts and large sea vessels. To see Istanbul on both sides of the strait, be sure to take a stroll on a pleasure boat along the Bosphorus or plan a route on regular city transport ships.

• located on a small rocky island exactly where the strait connects with the Sea of ​​Marmara . Maiden's Tower is closer to the Asian coast .
• Luxurious villas and amazing beauty Ottoman Sultans, and stand almost at the very water, reflected in its surface. Some once Ottoman palaces are now the most luxurious hotels on the Bosphorus. For example: Chiragan Palace and the Four Seasons at the Bosphorus Hotel
• In the narrowest place of the Bosphorus, two fortresses stand opposite each other: and.

Istanbul hotels on the banks of the Bosphorus

Many have rooms or luxurious terraces overlooking the Bosphorus, but not many are located directly on the shore. Bosphorus hotels located on the banks of the strait are mainly in the Istanbul region Besiktas. These are the most expensive and most luxurious hotels where famous guests of Istanbul usually stay - presidents, sheikhs, movie stars and major businessmen.

On both sides of the strait you can find quite a wide variety of restaurants, both expensive ones, where you can usually meet show business stars, and ordinary eateries that will suit the wallet of any tourist. There are also many national restaurants where you can taste traditional Turkish cuisine. And what could be better than lunch on the restaurant terrace overlooking the Bosphorus, where you can taste a wide variety of dishes and drinks.

Bosphorus Photos

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  Bosphorus - the soul of Istanbul
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