A bridge
between two continents
ISTANBUL GOLDEN HORN

THE GOLDEN HORN

 The Golden Horn, (in Turkish Halic) horn-shaped estuary divides European Istanbul . One of the best natural harbors in the world, the Byzantine and Ottoman navies and commercial shipping interests were centered here. Today, lovely parks and promenades line the shores where the setting sun casts a golden hue on the water. At Fener and Balat, neighborhoods midway up the Golden Horn , whole streets full of old wooden houses, churces and synagogues date from Byzantine and Ottoman times.

Golden Horn

 The Orthedox Patriarchy resides here at Fener. Eyüp, a little further up, reflects Ottoman architecture. Cemereties dotted with dark cypress trees cover the hillsides. Many pilgrims come to the Tomb of Eyüp in the hope that their prayers will be granted.

 The Pierre Loti Cafe (Famous French novelist Pierre Loti had been in Golden Horn very long time) atop the hill overlooking the shrine is a wonderful place to enjoy the tranquility of the wiew.

 In 1502 Leonardo da Vinci produced a drawing of a single span 720-foot (240 m) bridge as part of a civil engineering project for Sultan Bayezid II. The bridge was intended to span the Golden Horn. It was never built, but Leonardo's vision was resurrected in 2001 when a smaller bridge based on his design was constructed in Norway.

 The Istanbul city walls, once an impenetrable fortification, stretch seven kilometers from the Sea of Marmara to the Golden Horn. Recently restored, as also many times before, these walls date from the fifth century and the reign ol Emperor Theodosius II. UNESCO has declared the walls and the area which they enclose to be one el the cultural heritages ol the world.

 The Galata Tower, a Genoese construction of 1348, rises 62 meters above the Golden Horn. From the top there is a marvelous panorama of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus. In the evening you can enjoy its popular restaurant, nightclub and bar.