Bosphorus is the name of the strait that joins the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, situated between Europe and Asia. In some places, it is over two miles wide, in others, only one-half mile. Depths range from 150 feet to 300 feet. It is twenty-one miles long. Navigating the Bosphorus is difficult, and sometimes even treacherous, partly because of the fact that it is so narrow in some places, and partly because there are two strong currents that run in different directions.
Almost everyone who comes here for the first time signs up for a Bosphorus tour, leaving the difficulties of actually navigating this sea to the captain. During the tour, which generally leaves from Eminönü and proceeds north, toward the Black Sea, all of the beautiful wooden waterfront houses (yalılar), palaces (saraylar), imperial lodges or small palaces (kasırlar) and detached houses and mansions (köşkler), left from days gone by, can be seen and are described by the boats guide. Istanbul has long been renowned for the glorious residences that line both sides of the Bosphorus. All undeniably beautiful, the most beautiful are those that are oldest, because they were built following an ancient tradition in which a house was deliberately constructed in harmony with the natural environment. These residences all had lovely gardens, and each had its own boathouse and landing dock. At one time, hundreds of such residences lined the shores of these waters. Most have disappeared due to the passage of time or fire, always a threat to wooden structures here. Today, only a few remain. However, those that are left constitute a wordless, but nonetheless eloquent testimony to a truly magnificent past.
Sprawled across a high point at the place where the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Marmara Sea, the fabled Garland of Waters of Istanbul, all merge, is Topkapi Saray. Not just one building, but many, this 700,000 square meter complex was built in the 15th century and was the seat of power of the Ottoman Empire for four centuries. Today it is a museum that holds exquisite treasures, including those from the Imperial Treasury: emeralds, pearls, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and jade. The jewels include an eighty-six karat diamond and an uncut emerald weighing more than seven pounds! You can also see a throne made of solid gold, a gift to Sultan Mahmud I (1730-1754) from Persia. The real jewel, however, is the palace itself, rising up from the hill overlooking the sea. The view is especially dazzling at sunrise, when the demarcation between palace and hillside is softened, and everything is drenched in the soft light of dawn.
Then there is Dolmabahçe Saray, the palace that was constructed in the middle of the nineteenth century by Sultan Abdülmecit I. The royal family continued to live in Topkapi Saray, but Dolmabahçe became the new seat of government, where all official business was conducted. It stretches for six hundred meters along the sea. Within the palace, you will find a massive balustrade constructed entirely of rock crystal, and a crystal chandelier weighing four and a half tons, supporting no less than 750 lights.
Some of the most beautiful yalıs used to be in Bebek, once an exquisite village renowned because of its gardens filled with weeping willows, lindens, acacias, and nettle trees, rose bushes, and nightingales, which filled the air with song. However, each of the other villages along the Bosphorus had their own unique charms.
Heres a partial list of what you can expect to see.
The most impressive residence in Bebek is a beautiful white palace, the Khedive Saray, which belonged to Valide Pasha Emine Hanım, who was the mother of Khedive Abbas Hilmi Pasha. After she died, the property was given to Egypt and today it is the General Consulate of Egypt.
Serifler Yalı in Emirgân dates from the first half of the 17th century, when, according to Dr. Jak Deleon, it was part of Yusuf Paşas summer palace. Then, it was purchased by Feyzizade Mehmet Bey, who was the Chief Scribe for the Imperial Treasury. Finally, it changed hands again when it was bought by Abdulla Pasha. I myself have heard a story, which may well be apocryphal, that this yalı was originally built by a pasha for a young boy named Emirgün, for whom he had great affection. In any case, nothing is left now except a stunningly beautiful reception kiosk that was decorated in the European-influenced mode of the 19th century.
The oldest extant yalı is the 17th century Amcazade Yalısı in Anadolu Hisarı, on the Asian side. It was owned by the Köprülü family, which included no less than four members who served as Grand Vizier to various sultans. Built in 1699, this yalı was known for its tulip motifs. It also boasted marble water spigots and doors that are inlaid with ivory. Now, only one very grand, T-shaped room is left. In the middle of the room there is a marble pool underneath a domed ceiling. This site is protected by UNESCO.
Also in Anadolu Hisarı is the red ochre colored Hekimbaşa Sadullah Efendi Yalı. Hekim Başi was Chief Physician to the sultan and used to make medicines from the herbs that he grew in his still well preserved garden.
The gleaming white summer kasır at Beylerbeyi, on the Asian side, is still in beautiful condition. This is the residence where the sultans spent the summer season, enjoying gardens that were scented with magnolia trees. Now a state museum, Beylerbeyi Kasır has three floors, including a selamlık (residence and gathering place for men) and a hamamlık (for women). Its design was influenced by that of Dolmabahçe Saray. It has twenty-four rooms with ceilings decorated by Turkish, French and Italian artisans. The original Beylerbeyi Kasır was built during the reign of Sultan Mahmut II. It was there that Sultan Abdülmecid, his son, tried out Samuel Morses telegraph, in 1847, and was so thrilled that he was the first in the world to issue a patent to Morse for his invention. When that palace burned down, Sultan Abudülaziz had the royal architect, Sarkis Balyan, an Armenian, build a new one, which was completed in 1865. Sultan Abdülhamid, the last Sultan, was exiled to Salonica, but later permitted to return, and died at Beylerbeyi Kasır in 1918.
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The Count Ostorog Yalı in Kandili, again on the Asian side, was owned by a Pole, Count Leon Valerian, who was a legal advisor during the Ottoman Empire. This yalı is still in very good condition.
Sadullah Pasha Yalı in Çengilköy, a village famed for its 1000 year old oak trees, belonged to the Grand Vizier of Sultan Murat V and Abdulhamid II. This yalı is also painted with red ochre. It is around two hundred years old.
The Fethi Ahmet Pasha yali in Kuzguncuk is sometimes called the Pembe (Pink) Yalı because of its color.
On the Asian side, in Kandili, is Cypriot Mehmet Emin Pasha Yalı. A magnificent structure, the part facing the sea is sixty-three meters long.
In Göksu, on the Asian side, is a saray called the Küçüksü Pavilion. Now a museum, this palace was built on orders from Sultan Abdülmecid on the site of a palace that had been demolished. The Armenian architect Nikogos Balyan, a member of an illustrious family of architects, designed it. (This family worked as the official architects to the Sultan throughout the 19th century, and their descendants still practice architecture today, in Cairo.) The three-story palace, used as a royal hunting lodge and a place to relax, was finished in 1856. The entire exterior of the building is covered with marble in a rococo style. The interior is well-preserved, there is an exceptional, extremely ornate staircase, and a fairy-tale like marble pool with a fountain, the Valide Sultan Çeşmesi, or Fountain of the Queen Mother.
Of course, there are many, many more, and the only way to really appreciate why these structures are sometimes referred to as the nymphs of the Bosphorus is to see them for yourself.
There is another aspect to life along the Bosphorus that is not often pointed out and that is the almost spiritual quality linked to living in proximity to this particular sea. There is a definite mystique associated with living by the Bosphorus and those who live in the villages along these waters refer to themselves as Boğaz çoçukllar, meaning children of the Bosphorus. They have a real sense of lived connection with this ever-changing body of water. As a long-time resident of the Bosphorus, I have managed to learn some of what the natives know. For one thing, here, Nature is regarded as a kind of school par excellence. On any given day, for example, I have only to look at my window at the sea and the sky to learn what the weather will be. In the summer, I can usually tell in the morning whether there will be thundershowers that day. In winter, I know when a big storm is coming, not only by the color of the waters, which change from one or another shade of blue to dark gray, or even black, and not only by the clouds gathering, but by the direction of the wind. The general name for wind is rüzgar; in archaic Turkish it was duval, but each particular wind has a different name. Samiel is a hot, dry wind. Then there is the wind from the southwest, the lodos, and this wind can be especially enervating. Yıldız is the name given to the north wind. Winter storms come on the wind from the northwest, the karayel and on the wind from the northeast, poyraz.
Much has been written about the quality of light in Greece, and it is doubtless all true, but there is a unique quality of light here in Istanbul as well, a quality that is especially noticeable when one is in proximity to the sea. For example, at twilight on clear nights, especially in the spring, the air is especially pellucid. If one sits on the European shore, the structures and trees on the Asian side are seen so clearly that they seem to be only a few feet away. This kind of light is described as being şerbet gibi, like sherbet. During the summer season, on nights during the full moon, residents of the village of Rumeli Hisarı, on the European side, at the narrowest point of the Bosphorus, sit beside the sea or on their balconies so they can watch the moon rising slowly into the sky from behind the hills on the Asian side. As you watch, you can actually see the moon move upwards, and it has a deep orange color that casts an uncanny glow.
Finally, a Bosphorus trip on a night of the full moon is a never to be forgotten experience. The moon is high above, in a jet black, star-studded sky, pure, bright white, and its rays illuminate the black waves of the sea as your boat moves through them. Standing on the deck, you feel as if you are bathed in moonlight. On nights like this, it seems as if Aymelek, the Moon Angel, is very close indeed.
To learn more:
For further reading, I highly recommend Rhonda Vander Sluis book, From the Bosphorus: a Self-Guided Tour. The book contains superb, full color photographs, detailed maps, and information about the various waterside residences. Published by Çitlembek Ltd., based in Istanbul, their website provides an interactive preview of the book and complete ordering information. (Dont worry. You can order in English.) http://www.citlembik.com.tr/publish.htm
Here are some websites that are especially beautiful and informative:
This is one with superb images of Ottoman drawings of Istanbul and its environs:
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tsa/Treasures/treasures.html
In addition, there is Exploring Istanbul the Bosphorus
http://sheff.caeds.eng.uml.edu/iaea_98/cityguid.htm
There is a site called Nymphs of the Bosphorus: Waterside Residences, with exquisite photographs and a text written by Dr. Jak Deleon, a renowned authority on Ottoman history.
http://sircasaray.turkiye.org/anadolu/yali/bogaz.html
Finally, there is the City Guide site, containing impressive photographs with detailed descriptions.
http://www.istanbulcityguide.com/history/body_mansions_palaces.htm