The Istanbul bay, or the bay of Istanbul, is a popular tourist attraction in Turkey. Officially known as the Golden Horn, it is a massive waterbody that is located in the city of Istanbul. The bay is known in Turkey as Halic or Altin Boynuz.
It is a curved bay with a narrow girth that meets the Strait of Bosporus at a point where the Bosporus incidentally touches the Sea of Marmara.
The story behind the Istanbul bay
The origin of the Golden Horn (the Istanbul bay) predates this current era. It is said to have existed during the Ottoman Empire. During this period, the bay had a lot of species of fish that lived in the water. Also, the bay had a large supply of Oysters. These Oysters were caught and served as food on the table of the Sultan.
However, with time, the reservoir became polluted with industrial wastes. This happened in about 1950, and these wastes were said to originate from shipyards, warehouses, and factories. These industrial facilities were located mainly along the shore of the bay.
However, in the 1980s, there was a lot of effort to clean up the industrial wastes from the bay. This has restored local flora, wildlife, and fishes in the bay.
The Golden Horn, in terms of shape, looks a lot like a river bed. It is nearly 8 kilometers in length. It has a width of between 90 and 750 meters. The bay had a maximum depth of between 35 and 45 meters at the place it shares a confluence with the Bosporus.
The attractive features of the bay of Istanbul
The Istanbul bay features a river body with a turquoise blue. It is so rich in this brilliant blue color that it is a primary tourist attraction. There are a lot of bridges around the Golden Horn. Also, this amazing bay isn’t without its highlights. Along its aquamarine blue waters are embankments and parks. There are a lot of local touring companies that help tourists with trips on open-air ferries and other luxury boats.
There are a lot of attractions in the bay of Istanbul. You can find entertainment centers, restaurants, cafes, mosques, museums, and accommodation facilities. In terms of accommodation, you can easily find several hotels and apartments for a decent housing reservation for tourists and visitors.
A division through the bay
The Istanbul bay or the Golden Horn can be found in the European area of Istanbul. This bay further divided the historical part of Istanbul into two parts.
– The first part is called the “old city” that can be found in the same location as the old Constantinople and Byzantium. Constantinople is currently what is now known as Istanbul. The old city is a very large district located in Istanbul called Fatih. Fatih is the location of a majority of the cultural and historical attractions that Istanbul has.
– The second part is the lively and large district of Beyoglu. The Beyoglu district is a very famous area of Istanbul. It is characterized by colorful neighborhoods and significant sights. One amazing neighborhood that can be found in the Beyoglu district is Karakoy.
Bridges over the bay of Istanbul
Istanbul bay is home to various bridges. Many of these bridges help cross pedestrians and transport. These bridges connect the districts of Fatih and Beyoglu. The bridges are:
The Galata bridge: It is a famous and most visited bridge. It is a two-deck bridge. It has roadways for transport and pedestrians at the higher level. The lower tier features observation decks, cafes, shops, and restaurants.
The Golden Horn or Halic Bridge: It is the second most popular bridge across the bay. It features both pedestrian and railway transportation.
The Ataturk bridge: This is a bridge meant for transport and pedestrian.
