Bosphorus Tours & Tickets

The Bosphorus is only 660 metres wide at its narrowest point (between Rumeli Fortress and Anatolia Fortress), yet it connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean via the Sea of Marmara.

Over 50,000 ships transit the Bosphorus annually, making it one of the world's busiest maritime chokepoints and a crucial route for Russian grain and oil exports.

The strait's name comes from Greek mythology: Io, a priestess turned into a white heifer, supposedly swam across it to escape Hera's jealousy.

Istanbul straddles both Europe and Asia because of the Bosphorus, making it the only city on two continents and giving it a unique geopolitical and cultural identity.

The Bosphorus has a two-layer water current: fresher water from the Black Sea flows south on the surface, while denser Mediterranean water flows north underneath.

Dolphin sightings are common in the Bosphorus during autumn and winter months, particularly from ferry routes between European and Asian shores.