Istanbul

{{IsPartOf|Mediterranean|Turkey|Sea of Marmara}}
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{{Infobox
| lat= 41.013611
| lon= 28.955
| chartlet= y
| portofentry= y
| zoom= 12
| image= Turkey_Istanbul_r.jpg
| imagetext= Chart of Istanbul Region<!--| imagewidth= 450px-->
| notes= 
}}

Today's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul Istanbul] is a thriving city, and with its history and monuments one of the most fascinating places that a cruiser, or any other visitor, can visit.

==Charts==
; BA
: 224 Maramara Denizi
: 1005 Marmara Adasi to Istanbul Boğazi
; NIMA
: 55040 Sea of Marmara
; Turkey
: 29 Marmara Sea
: 292 İstanbul - Mudanya


==Weather==
''See [[Turkey#Weather|Turkey]]''.
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==Passages==
* [[Bosphorus#Navigation|Bosphorus]]
* [[Sea of Marmara#Navigation|Sea of Marmara]]

==Islands==
 {{dest| Marmara Islands}}
 {{dest| Princes Islands}}

==Communication==
*

''Also see [[World MM Nets|World Cruiser's Nets]]''.

==Navigation==
The approach to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul Istanbul] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosporus Bosphorus], the narrow channel that separates Europe from Asia from the sea is one of the most breathtaking sites one can ever see. You can see the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosphorus_Bridge Bosphorus Bridge], suspension bridge; [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia Agia Sophia]; the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque Blue Mosque], and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topkapı_Palace Topkapi Palace] to the north, and the palaces and mansions which line both sides of the channel.

The traffic in the narrow channel is horrific. Boats are everywhere: large steamers coming from or going to the Black Sea, ferryboats cutting across at high speed, cruise ships, motor cruisers, small fishing boats, even a couple of sail boats all in an anarchic mess, totally oblivious of any rules of navigation regarding mutual avoidance but doing so as if by miracle. The water is also very polluted.

''See also [[Sea of Marmara#Special_Navigation_Notes_and_transit_details|Sea of Marmara]]''.

==Entrance==
If you are either entering or exiting Turkey the staff of the marinas may be able to help you. But, bear in mind that these marinas mainly cater to local yachts and their staff may not be very familiar with the official procedures. The Turkish officials are in the Karaköy district. It is better to go there yourself.

For details ''see [[Turkey#Entrance|Turkey]]''.

==Berthing==
There are several anchorages near Istanbul. The two most important are the [[Atakoy_Marina|Ataköy]] and the [[Kalamıs_and_Fenerbahce_Marinas|Kalamis]] Marinas.

===Marinas & Yacht Clubs===
* [[Atakoy_Marina|Ataköy Marina]]
* [[Kalamıs and Fenerbahce_Marinas|Kalamış & Fenerbahçe Marinas]]
* [[Marinturk_Istanbul_City_Port|Marinturk Istanbul City Port]]

{{poi | lat= 40.9619 | lon= 28.6605
| type= berth
| name= West Istanbul Marina
| altname= 
| url = http://www.westistanbulmarina.com
| zoom= 15
| portofentry= 
| image=
| imagetext=
| text= new and with all service, cheaper then the other marinas but far out of the city.
: {{email|XX@XXX}}; Tel: +90 212 850 22 00; Fax: +XX XX XXXX-XXXX; VHF channel XX
: Address: Yaakuplu Marmara Mah., Ulusum Cad. No:28, 34524 Beylikdüzü Organize Sanayi Bölgesi/Beylikdüzü/Beylikdüzü/İstanbul, Turkey
: Hours: 8:00 to 16:00
}}

==Anchorages==
''See [[Bosphorus#Berthing|Bosphorus]]''.


==Amenities==
{{tlist

|header|Facilities

|Water| Both the [[Atakoy_Marina|Ataköy]] and [[Kalamıs_and_Fenerbahce_Marinas|Kalamis]] marinas provide water to each berthed yacht at the dock
|Electricity| Both the [[Atakoy_Marina|Ataköy]] and [[Kalamıs_and_Fenerbahce_Marinas|Kalamis]] marinas provide electricity outlets for each yacht at the dock
|Toilets| In the marinas
|Showers|  In the marinas
|Laundry| 
* There are laundry machines in [[Atakoy_Marina|Ataköy Marina]]
* The staff of the [[Kalamıs & Fenerbahce Marinas|Kalamış & Fenerbahçe Marinas]] can arrange for next day laundry service at a high price. They do not wash underwear!

|Garbage| There are bins around the marinas

|header|Supplies
|Fuel| Both the [[Atakoy_Marina|Ataköy]] and [[Kalamıs_and_Fenerbahce_Marinas|Kalamis]] marinas have a fueling dock
|Bottled gas| {{MagentaText|?}}
|Chandlers|
* There is a chandlery within [[Atakoy_Marina|Ataköy Marina]]
* There is a chandlery near the [[Kalamıs_and_Fenerbahce_Marinas|Kalamis Marina]]
* The best chandleries, however, can be found in the Karaköy district

|header|Services
|Repairs| ''See [[#Marinas & Yacht Clubs|marina entries]]''
|Internet| In the marinas and in cafés
|Mobile connectivity| Strong 4G signal in most places
|Vehicle rentals| Car rental can be arranges at the marinas, however, driving in Istanbul is not for the faint hearted
}}

==Provisioning==
* There are several supermarkets within walking distance from [[Kalamıs_and_Fenerbahce_Marinas|Kalamis Marina]]
* A huge ''Migros'' supermarket is about 10 minutes'  walk from [[Atakoy_Marina|Ataköy Marina]]
* Of course, there is the [[#Grand_Bazaar|Grand Bazaar]] where you can find almost anything

==Eating out==
* In general there are numerous very good restaurants in Istanbul
* The ''Darüzziyafe'' is a traditional Turkish restaurant near the Süleymaniye Cami (Mosque), its food is outstanding
* The restaurant within the [[Kalamıs_and_Fenerbahce_Marinas|Kalamis]] compound serves excellent food
* From [[Atakoy_Marina|Ataköy Marina]], it is a 10-15 minute walk to the suburb of Yesilkoy, where there are fast food establishments, cafes and restaurants to meet every taste

==Transportation==
* Two International airport with connections almost anywhere in the world. 
* Links to the official Bus, Train and Ferry operators websites that contain route maps and timetables are at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_transport_in_Istanbul#Links Public transport in Istanbul] Wikipedia webpage - External Links section. 

====Tourism====
====History====
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul Istanbul] (Εις την Πόλι - is tin Poli - to the city) the capital of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire Byzantine Empire], Κωνσταντινούπολις ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople Constantinoupolis] - the city of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_I Constantine]) or, as it is known to all the Greeks, simply as "η Πόλις" (i Polis - the City) has been dominating the history of Eastern Mediterranean for almost 1800 years. Today it is a thriving metropolis of 7,550,000 inhabitants and Turkey's largest city. It is a fascinating place where East meets West, Islam meets Christianity, and Greeks meet Turks.
Istanbul started life as a modest Greek settlement, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantium Byzantium], founded by colonists from Megara. In 330 AD the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire Roman] Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_I Constantine] moved the capital of his empire to Byzantium and renamed it [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Rome Nova Roma] (New Rome). At his death the empire was split by his sons into the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. The later evolved into the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire Byzantine Empire]. The original language of the empire was, of course, Latin but later in the 7th century it was supplanted by Greek.

The Empire reached its peak during the rein of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justinian_I Justinian] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodora_%286th_century%29 Theodora] (483 - 548). It was during this time that the magnificent [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia Hagia Sophia] church which still dominates Istanbul's skyline was built. Eventually the Empire went into decline and by the time of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Crusade Fourth Crusade] was so weakened that the crusaders [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Crusade#Final_capture_of_Constantinople] captured it 1204.  In 1261 the Byzantines recovered their city and the Empire, a shadow of its glorious past, lingered for over 200 more years.

In the meantime, around the 11th century a Turkish tribe, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seljuq Seljuqs] started migrating and conquering lands in Anatolia. Their empire collapsed in the 13th. One of its constituent Turkish tribes, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sögüt Söğüt] settled in the river valley of Sakarya and started to fill the vacuum. They became known as "Ottomans" after [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osman_I Osman] (1258–1326) one of their early leaders who united them.  By the time [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehmed_II Mehmet I|] became their sultan in 1451 they had become the major power and dominated all the former Byzantine lands. Fulfilling [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murad_II Murad’s] (his father) dream in April 1453 he besieged Constantinople and on 29 May 1453 the city fell and the Byzantine Empire ceased to exist.
 
The city now was the capital of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire Ottoman Empire] which for dominated the Mediterranean region for the next 400 years. It was a large, cosmopolitan, and for its day fairly enlightened empire. Under it many cultures flourished. At the height of its power (16th–17th century), it spanned three continents, controlling much of Southeastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. It stretched from the Strait of Gibraltar (and, in 1553, the Atlantic coast of Morocco beyond Gibraltar) in the west to the Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf in the east, and from the edge of Austria, Hungary and parts of Ukraine in the north to Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and Yemen in the south. On November 1, 1922 the last emperor, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehmed_VI Mehmed VI], following Turkey's defeat in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I World War I], was deposed and on  October 29, 1923 the Ottoman Empire also eased to exist. It was succeeded by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Turkey Republic of Turkey] with its capital in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankara Ankara]. The Republic's leader [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustafa_Kemal_Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk], the father of modern Turkey, started a vast modernization campaign bringing his country into the 20th century.

====Places to Visit====
There are so many things to see and do in Istanbul that we cannot possibly cover but the barest essentials. It is best to consult one of the many tourist guides.

=====Hagia Sophia=====
{{Image right|AgiaSofiaInterior.jpg |The majestic interior of Hagia Sophia  }}

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia Hagia Sophia], the Byzantine Cathedral of Constantinoupolis, now a museum. It is one of the most important architectural monuments ever built and its huge dome one of the most ambitious architectural achievements of all time.

Hagia Sophia was built during the rain of the emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justinian_I Justinian] and was designed by the mathematician [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthemius_of_Tralles Anthemius] and the physicist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isidore_of_Miletus Isidoros]. It was completed in 537 AD.  The interior is simply breathtaking in its scale and there are some wonderful mosaics, especially in the gallery (which should not be missed).

There is an admission charge, since Hagia Sofia is now a state museum.  It is closed on Mondays. If you are to see only one thing in Istanbul, make sure it is Hagia Sophia.

{{Image center|AgiaSofiaExterior.jpg |Exterior of Hagia Sophia  |500px }}

=====Blue Mosque=====
{{Image right|BlueMosque.jpg |Blue or Sultan Ahmed Mosque  }}

Another architectural wonder, just across from Hagia Sophia, is the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ahmed_Mosque Blue Mosque] or Sultan Ahmed Mosque. It is a magnificent building, completed in 1616. Its combination of ceramic tiles, stained glass windows, and colorful carpets make the visit to its interior a virtual aesthetic feast.
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=====Topkapi Palace=====
{{Image right|Istanbul_TopKap1.jpg |The Courtyard of the Favorites in Topkapi }}

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topkapi_Palace Topkapi Palace] was the sultan's (Ottoman Emperor’s) residence from 1465 to 1853. Construction of the palace was started in 1459 AD under Sultan [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehmed_II Mehmed II]. At one time it housed about 4,000 people.

Now it a museum where you can see magnificently illuminated manuscripts, the Prophet's bow and sword, the famous emerald-encrusted dagger of Mehmed II (remember the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topkapi_%28film%29 Topkapi movie] with Melina Merkouri and Peter Ustinov), the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoonmaker%27s_Diamond Spoonmaker's Diamond], etc.

You can also visit the [http://www.turkishodyssey.com/places/marmara/marmara2.htm#Harem harem] section which was opened to the public just a few years ago. The harem has some of the most beautiful tilework to be found anywhere in Turkey as well as some wonderful stained glass.  It is really hard to see how about 400 women were kept indoors, prisoners for life, in such a small, although gilded, cage. From the harem one has access to a lovely garden overlooking the [[Sea of Marmara]].

{{Image center|TopkapiInterior.jpg |The Crown Prince’s quarters, Topkapi Palace  |500px }}

=====Istanbul Archaeological Museum=====
{{Image right|AlexanderSarcophagus.jpg |The famous Alexander Sarcophagus  }}

Often overlooked by visitors to the Topkapi Palace (in the grounds of which it lies) is the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.  A visit here should not be missed.  Among the most interesting exhibits are several Hellenic sarcophagi excavated in Sidon (now in Lebanon), including a breathtaking carved marble one (known as the Alexander Sarcophagus) showing Alexander the Great at the battle of Issus on one side and Alexander hunting lion and deeron  the other.  Another enchanting sarcophagus shows a series of mourning women in poses which might have come straight from a pre-Raphaelite painting.  The museum has a good collection of Hellenic and Roman statuary, including some beautiful statues excavated at Miletus, such as one of Apollo with his lyre.  The museum also displays relics from Hittite, Assyrian and earlier Asian civilisations in a separate building.
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=====Dolmabahçe Palace=====
{{Image right|DolmabahceBosphorus.jpg |Dolmabahçe Palace  }}

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolmabahçe_Palace Dolma Baçe], on the bank of the [[Bosphorus]], was the palace of the last Ottoman Emperors from 1853 to 1922. It is interesting to visit for its gross opulence as it tries to imitate the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles Palace of Versailles]. The palace was built between 1842 and 1853 during the reign of Sultan [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdülmecid Abdülmecid].
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=====Grand Bazaar=====
{{Image right|GrandBazaar.jpg |The Grand Bazaar  }}

The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Bazaar%2C_Istanbul Grand Bazaar], in Turkish Kapali Çarşi, is the largest Istanbul market. It is also one of the largest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 streets and 6,000 shops, and has between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors per day.

One can wonder for days in its endless vaulted alleyways and narrow streets, dodging the all too eager vendors. Everything from jewellery to lokum (Turkish delight) is on sale here.

=====Spice Bazaar=====
The Spice Bazaar, in Turkish Misir Çarşisi, is close to the Yeni Çamii (New Mosque) and is also well worth a visit.  Smaller than the Grand Bazaar, it hosts a wide range of shops, many of which specialize in exotic spices from all over the world.  Outside the Spice Bazaar to the SE is the small but charming flower and pet bazaar, where every conceivable kind of flower seed, pets and luxury pet foods are on sale.

{{hgallery|
 {{himage|SpiceBazaar.jpg|The Spice Bazaar|1600x200}}
 {{himage|PetBazaar.jpg|The Pet and  Flower Bazaar|1600x200}}
}}

=====Basilica Cistern=====
{{Image right|Istanbul_Basilica_Cistern.jpg |The Basilica Cistern  }}

The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_Cistern Basilica Cistern] is a most impressive underground cistern. It was built during the reign of emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justinian_I Justinian I] in the 6th century. It is an underground chamber of 143 by 65 metres with 336 marble columns. It is easy visit as it is right across from Hagia Sophia.

==Friends==
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
* 

==Forums==
List links to discussion threads on [[Cruising Forums|partnering forums]]. (''see link for requirements'')
* 
* 

==Links==
* {{Wikipedia}}
* {{Wikivoyage}}
* {{Wikipedia|Constantinople|Constantinoupolis}}
* 

==References==
''See [[Turkey#References_&_Publications|Turkey]]''.

{{Comments}}
* 

{{Verified by}}
* August 1999 --[[User:Istioploos|Istioploos]] [[Image:Greece_Icon.png]]
* June 2011 --[[User:Atheneoflymington|Athene of Lymington]] 19:54, 9 June 2011 (BST)
* 
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{{Contributors|[[User:Istioploos|Istioploos]], [[User:Atheneoflymington|Athene of Lymington]], [[User:Rr7|Rr7]]}}

[[Category:Ports - Turkey]]