Ferries in Istanbul
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Şehir Hatları
The city's largest and oldest ferry operator is the municipally owned Şehir Hatları ("City Lines"). Founded in 1851 as the Şirket-i Hayriye (“The Goodwill Company”), Şehir Hatları operates the city's iconic white and orange ferries (vapurs). Şehir Hatları currently operates 30 ferries between 53 piers on 32 lines, serving both sides of the Bosphorus as well as the Princes' Islands. In 2023 Şehir Hatları transported 40 million passengers.
Istanbul Sea Buses (İDO)
Istanbul Sea Buses (İstanbul Deniz Otobusleri, İDO) runs a combination of catamaran-type high-speed ferries and vehicle ferries within Istanbul and across the Sea of Marmara to provinces such as Bursa and Yalova. Ido was established in 1987 by the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality and was privatized in April 2011. Today, İDO, maintains a fleet of 26 high-speed passenger ferries and 22 vehicle ferries serving 21 piers across the Marmara Region.
Turyol
Another smaller private ferry company, Turyol, provides frequent services on routes from Eminönü, Kabataş, Beyoğlu and Karaköy to piers at Üsküdar, Haydarpaşa and Kadıköy, among others.
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History
Boats have traversed the waters of the Bosphorus for millennia and until the opening of the first Bosphorus bridge in 1973, were the only mode of transport between the European and Asian halves of Istanbul. They continue to serve as a key public transport link for many thousands of commuters, tourists and vehicles every day.
The first private steam ferries (called vapurs in Turkish), crossed the Bosphorus in 1837. The first ferries were wooden paddle boats and were later replaced by iron and steel screw ships. In 1851, the Şirket-i Hayriye [tr] (literally “The Goodwill Company”, as the Istanbul Ferry Company was originally called) was established by the Ottoman state. The Şirket-i Hayriye, renamed Şehir Hatları in the early republican period. In 1937, Şehir Hatları was nationalised and came under the control of the state-owned Türkiye Denizcilik İşletmeleri (TDİ) (“Turkish Maritime Lines ”). The TDİ was largely privatised in the late 90s and early 2000s and ownership of the Şehir Hatları was transferred to the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality in March 2006.
Several generations of ferries have served the city and many of the earlier ferries were built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Glasgow, Scotland. These white, black and yellow boats have gone on to become iconic in the modern popular culture of the city. One was featured in the James Bond film From Russia with Love, while more recently a new-generation and therefore historically inaccurate ferry appeared momentarily in the 2012 film Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, which was set in the 1970s. The last steam-powered ferry ran until 2003. A new generation of boats, designed by Fairfield but built in Istanbul, came into operation in the 2000s, enhancing the historic fleet.
Lines operated by Şehir Hatları
Inner Istanbul Lines
Source:
- Kadıköy - Karaköy - Eminönü
- Kadıköy - Beşiktaş
- Kadıköy - Karaköy - Beşiktaş (Only operates on Friday and Saturday nights)
- Kadıköy - Kabataş
- Üsküdar - Karaköy - Eminönü
- Bostancı - Karaköy - Kabataş
- Golden Horn Line (Üsküdar - Karaköy - Kasımpaşa - Fener - Balat - Hasköy - Ayvansaray - Sütlüce - Eyüpsultan)
- Aşiyan - Anadolu Hisarı - Küçüksu (Ring)
- Aşiyan - Üsküdar
- Kadıköy - Kasımpaşa - Fener - Hasköy - Sütlüce - Eyüpsultan
- Beşiktaş - Kabataş - Karaköy - Kasımpaşa - Sütlüce - Eyüpsultan
- Çengelköy - Kabataş
- Bostancı - Moda - Kadıköy - Kabataş
- Avcılar - Bakırköy - Yenikapı - Kadıköy (Operated by IDO for Şehir Hatları)
- Avcılar - Bostancı (Operated by IDO for Şehir Hatları)
Bosphorus Lines
Source:
- Sarıyer - Rumeli Kavağı - Anadolu Kavağı (Stops at 'Poyraz' pier during the summer season)
- Sarıyer - Beykoz
- Küçüksu - Beşiktaş - Kabataş
- Çengelköy - İstinye
- Küçüksu - İstinye
- Anadolu Kavağı - Üsküdar
- Rumeli Kavağı - Eminönü
- Bebek - Emirgan
- Kadıköy - Sarıyer
- Ortaköy - Üsküdar - Kadıköy
- Ortaköy - Beşiktaş - Eminönü
Princes' Islands Lines
Source:
- Beşiktaş - Adalar - Kadıköy
- Bostancı - Adalar (Ring)
- Bostancı - Büyükada - Sedef Adası (Only during the summer season)
- Kabataş - Kadıköy - Adalar
- Maltepe - Adalar (Büyükada - Heybeliada - Burgazada - Kınalıada)
Bosphorus tours
Source:
- Long Bosphorus Tour
- Short Bosphorus Tour
Vehicle ferry line
Source:
- İstinye - Çubuklu
Fleet
Şehir Hatları Fleet
Additional sources
- Bryant, Steve (September 27, 2011). "EBRD Lends $150 Million To Buyers Of Istanbul Ferry Company". Bloomberg. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
- "Souter's Turkish delight at big Istanbul ferry deal Focusing on the east reaps early dividend". The Herald (Scotland). April 9, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
- "Istanbul Ferry Deal Finalised". TFI News. June 17, 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
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