cruising on the Bosphorus

cruising on the Bosphorus

Istanbul is the only city in the world with being crossed by an international water way, the Bosphorus. The width of the Bosphorus varies from 500 to 3000 meters and its depth from 50 to 120 meters. Each year, approximately 45.000 ships cross it. It is thanks to this arm of the sea which separates it from Europe of Asia, that Istanbul acquired its statute of metropolis.

According to Greek mythology, it is in this place that Lo, mistress of Zeus, precipitated in the floods to get rid of a horsefly launched on it by Héra. The place holds its name of this legend bus in Bosphorus Greek means "Ford of the Cows".

On banks of the Bosphorus the palates set up by the last sultans rise:

mosques...

bridges...

one finds many " yalis ", houses of style ottoman built out of wood, between the hills and the sea. Often set fire to, there remains only one about thirty authentic houses. Some, very required, can be sold up to 50 million dollars!

the fortress of Rumeli Hisari: At the narrowest place of the Bosphorus, Mehmet the Conqueror made set up a fortress which enabled them to control the passage on the strait. The construction of the three grosses towers and the walls lasted only four months. After the catch of Constantinople, it lost of its importance and was used as prison a time. It accomodates cultural activities today.