What is the Bosphorus?
The Bosphorus is a narrow strait in Istanbul, Turkey, that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and divides Europe from Asia. It is about 31 kilometers long.
At its narrowest point, the Bosphorus is only about 700 meters wide. Istanbul lies on both sides, making it one of the few cities in the world on two continents. The strait is one of the busiest waterways in the world, used by tens of thousands of ships each year, including oil tankers from the Black Sea.
Three suspension bridges cross the Bosphorus: the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, opened in 1973, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge. The Marmaray rail tunnel and the Eurasia road tunnel run beneath it. Ferries carry passengers across every day.
History and views
The Bosphorus has been strategically important for thousands of years, controlled by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. Its shores are lined with palaces, such as Dolmabahçe, fortresses like Rumeli Hisarı, mosques and elegant waterside mansions called yalı.
Did You Know?
According to Greek myth, the name Bosphorus means cow's passage, after the story of Io, who crossed it in the form of a cow.