CndBosphorus

The Churches in Istanbul | St. Anthony of Padua

2010-02-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

Istanbul met Christianity in the 4th century, while Paganism was dominated before.

The first Christian churches are Havariyyun, Haghia Sophia and Haghia Eirene. Many churches had been built until the conquest of Istanbul.

There the churches of different sects and religious orders such as Nestorianism, Monophyism, Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Syrian Christianity, Gregorianism, Keldani, Dominicanism, Franciscanism has been in Istanbul. Morever, different nations such as Greek, Armenian, Latin and Genoese also has had their own churces.

St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church
The architect of St. Anthony Church, at Istiklal Caddesi in Beyoglu is Guilio Mongeri.

The construction of the church that lasted 6 years, was complated in 1912.

This church is not only one of the biggest churches in Istanbul, but also has the largest Catholic community.

St. Anthony Church, in a large court, is a good example of Italian neo-Gothic architecture in red brick.

Istanbul: Capital of Cultures

2010-01-05T11:31:00.000-08:00

Istanbul2010 European Capital of Culture is a great project bringing into play the city's full potential with the enthusiastic participation of its inhabitants from all walks of life...

Istanbul: A city where contemporary artists from all over the world choose to live, a city which unites not only Asia & Europe but the East & the West... ... ...

Çengelköy | December 2009 | Photo by CndFlix © 2009

...THE OLD & THE NEW,
TRADITIONAL & MODERN...

enchantment & knowledge,
splendour & modesty,
dogma & pragmatism,
the universal & the local.

It is this legendary city
which will have the honour of
being the European Capital of Culture in 2010.

Calender of Events for İstanbul 2010

2009-12-26T00:22:00.000-08:00

EARTH
January 1st - March 20th The events in winter will be marked by tradition and the transformation in traditional arts. The emphasis will be on artistic events assessing the historical heritage of the past with a totally new perspective.

AIR
March 21st - June 21st The events in spring will mark the air theme with the echo of İstanbul's minarets and bell towers resounding the sky. İstanbul has hosted and continues to host a dialogue between different religions. The cultural interaction arising from this dialogue will be at the heart of the events during this period.

WATER
June 22nd - September 22nd The events in summer will emphasize water and the sea as elements which divide and reunify İstanbul, opening the city up to the outside world throughout history. The Program during this period will concentrate on cultures transported by water and inspired by water. The banks of the Golden Horn the Bosphorus will be the scene of important events.

FIRE
September 23rd - December 31st The main actor during the fall will be fire, the most powerful instrument of charge in the universe, capable of transforming water into steam, sand into glass, wood into ashes. This period will involve events centered around contemporary art and the quest for new artistic terrain.

İstanbul, Focal Point of Artistic and Cultural Activity
The theory of the Four Elements, at the root of so many scientific, philosophical and theological theories from Antiquity to the Renaissance, holds that everything in the universe is made up of the various combinations of Earth, Air, Water and Fire.

It is the theory of the four elements which inspired the calender of events for İstanbul 2010. The 2010 European Capital of Culture events will span 4 different periods. Traces of th theory of the four elements, developed by Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes, three philosophers who lived in the city of Miletus in Western Anatolia, and later immortalized by Aristotle, will be found in each of these periods.

What The Coins Tell Us: Symbols and Multicultural Aspects in Medieval Anatolian Coins

2009-12-14T15:49:00.000-08:00

Hello! Yes! Today we are going around European side of İstanbul: Taksim and Beyoğlu. Firstly we'll go to Taksim Park. After feeling the Istanbul's autumn and drinking our teas, we'll go around İstiklal Caddesi...

When we came and stopped at the front of apartment with number 161, we'll see... what?
A museum: Yapı Kredi Vedat Nedim Tör Müzesi. And an exhibition!

What The Coins Tell Us -1 | Yapı Kredi Culture Center | December 2009 | Photo by CndFlix © 2009

What The Coins Tell Us: Symbols and Multicultural Aspects in Medieval Anatolian Coins.
30 September - 31 December 2009. Yapı Kredi Vedat Nedim Tör Müzesi...

Exhibition Curator: Şennur Şentürk. Inventory Work: Begüm Irmak, Gözde Köymen. Exhibition Design: Karamustafa Tasarım Atölyesi. Translations: Sim İris Belik. Editor: Ersel Topraktepe. Graphic Application: Hasan Fırat. Lighting and Technical Works by Sergikur, Murat Mısırlı...

This exhibition has been prepared by Yapı Kredi Culture, Art and Publishing, for Yapı Kredi Bankası A.Ş.

No! Not for the bank or the bankers! This exhibition prepared for all the people...
Yes, what do the coins tell you? ... Really!?

Do You Know That Atatürk Has Died?

2009-11-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, and founder of the Republic of Turkey as well as its first President, died on 10 November 1938, at the age of 57, in the Dolmabahçe Palace, where he spent his last days.

Little Elif says: "Atatürk has died, do you know?"

DolmaBahçe Palace | İstanbul | July 2009 | Photo by CndFlix © 2009

The entrance of Dolmabahçe Palace where Atatürk spent his last days. This palace is between Kabataş and Beşiktaş in İstanbul.

FishIstanbul

2009-10-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Fish is one of the indispensable symbols of Istanbul. You will not forget the taste of the fish whether you eat at street sellers at Eminönü Square or at luxurious restaurants at the Bosphorus.

If you wish the most delicious fish and the freshest mussels of the world are waiting for you at Kavaklar, the end of the Bosphorus towards the Black Sea.

Miniaturk: Miniature Park of Turkey in Istanbul

2009-09-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

Miniaturk is a dream come true... It is a reflection of present and past times.
Miniaturk is a mark of respect for a long history that streches back a thousands of years and is a gift to the coming centruies. It is the revival of the history and culture, portrayed in all its magnificence in Istanbul, at a site on the Golden Horn.

Just a two-hour walk around the story land of Miniaturk allows the visitor to see, at close hand, the traces of civilizations that ruled the lands of Anatolia and its surrounding for 3000 long years.
Here one wanders from Ottoman Bastarde galley, builded 1657, to Mustafa Kemal's private train car by strolling through the Bosphorus Strait; from the Celcus Library of Ephesus to the Malabadi Bridge; from the Rumeli Castle to the Izmir clock tower; from the Church of St. Antoine to the Mevlana Tomb; from Pamukkale to the ancient Aspendos Amphitheater, and form the Hagia Sophia to the magnificent mansions and places of Istanbul.

Entrance of Miniaturk

Mosque

The voice information system adjacent to each model allows visitors to listen to information about the monument. The system offers siz language alternaties: Turkish, English, French, German, Arabic and Russian.

Temple of Artemis

Ishak Pasha Palace

Anıtkabir

You can come to Miniaturk by availing of the means of public buses: from Taksim 54HT bus, from Eminönü 47, 47C, 47E buses...
At site of Miniaturk, one can find restaurant which serves delicious selections from Turkish cuisine.

For "İftar" We Are at Sultanahmet . OK?

2009-09-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, Blue Mosque (Mavi Cami) is here. Month is Ramazan. May be we can have our free ramadan meal in the evening. :)

Ramadan at Üsküdar in Istanbul

2009-09-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

Ramadan/Ramazan is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and indulging in anything that is in excess or ill-natured; from dawn until sunset.

The people who break their fast with the evening meal given free by Üsküdar Municipality.

Üsküdar Municipality's Free Ramadan Table / Ramazan Sofrası...

The people who wait their turn for getting free meal...

The children who eats their free meals...

Just as Istanbul manages to straddle Europe and Asia, fuse the ancient and the modern, it also manages to balance traditional and contemporary festivities during the blessed month of Ramadan.

Mahya... Be Fair / Adil Ol.

Whilst preparations for the month long celebrations start weeks in advance. A sure sign that Ramadan has started is when the Mahya, a pattern of light bulbs hung high above the minarets of the main mosques, lights up with the message ‘Welcome! Month of Ramadan / Hoş Geldin Ya Şehr-i Ramazan’. The tradition of the Mahya dates back from the Ottoman times and its religious message is changed every few days, each one exhorting and encouraging people toward goodness. With the Istanbul municipality having completed its preparations to turn the city into an entertainment centre during Ramadan, there are lots of activities to keep everyone, the young and the old, entertained from Sahur to İftar.

The City(!) Ramadan is in the City Üsküdar...

Openair Art Center Opened in Eminönü Square

2009-08-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

The Sixth Openair Art Center, organized by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) with the aim of supporting painting, photography, marbling and calligraphy artists and bringing them together with visitors to historic Eminönü Square opened on July 14.

The Openair Art Center will be open to visitors from July 14 to Sept. 18 every day except Sundays between 10:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Concerts and folkloric performances by children will entertain visitors during the exhibition.

Sometimes A Big City Might Be Only A Hide-and-Seek Place

2009-08-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

"We are happy, what about you 'ihtiyar amca' (old uncle)?"

"We don't want to grow! Right?"

"No problem the bicycles' size... We are friend."

Video: Istanbul Meeting of The World Cultures & Youth

2009-07-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

Dance in Istanbul with the Arab Songs

Video: European Capital of Culture Istanbul Meeting of The World Cultures & Youth: Dünya Kültürleri ve Gençliği 2010 Avrupa Başkenti İstanbul Buluşması: 12-19 July 2009.

...CndVideo, OmrCnd and CndFlix-CndBosphorus present this video and wish good viewing to the viewers...

A District Bazaar Which Looks Bosphorus

2009-07-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

Today is Saturday... We will go to shopping at a district bazaar in Beylerbeyi. Beylerbeyi is a neighbourhood of Üsküdar district in Istanbul. It is located on the Asian shore of Bosphorus, just below the I. Bosphorus Bridge.
The district bazaar which we will shop, is not at seashore. Bazaar sets up on a hill: Kirazlıtepe.

Kirazlıtepe at Beylerbeyi.

District Bazaar at Kirazlıtepe in Beylerbeyi.

Trucks which brings the vegetable and fruit to Kirazlıtepe Bazaar.

People who rest in the park near Kirazlıtepe Bazaar.

Istanbul Meeting Of The World Cultures & Youth

2009-07-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

European Capital of Culture Istanbul Meeting of The World Cultures & Youth: 12-19 July 2009.

16 July 2009. At Taksim in Istanbul.

Arab musicians and dancers at Taksim Freedom Square in Istanbul.

Dance! Ya Habibi Dance!

Exhibition in Beşiktaş-Istanbul

2009-07-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

At Beşiktaş in Istanbul an exhibition about historical diver materials is opened. The exhibition will end on 30 November 2009.

Poster of The Exhibition of Historical Diver Materials.

The symbol of The Naval Museum at Beşiktaş.

A Sunday night on the main road of Beşiktaş.

"Turkey became the cradle of my poems"

2009-07-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

Sunset in Bosphorus [European side of Istanbul].

English poet and translator Richard McKane (1947) had begin writing poems in 1967, influenced especially by his impressions of Turkey: in his words, "Turkey became the cradle of my poems." He has translated major Turkish poets for anthologies like the Penguin Book of Turkish Verse and Modern Turkish Poetry.

I dedicated this Bosphorus Sunset to our poet Orhan Veli.

In his poem named "For Orhan Veli" Mckane says:

"Drunk in a ditch he lay.
drunk till break of day.
The poet of carbuncles and corns
of Bosphorus sunsets and dawns."

I dedicated this Bosphorus Sunset to English poet Richard McKane.

Other Times, Other Manners

2009-07-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

The old riders mounted the horses of old times, and are gone....

The entrance of Dolmabahçe Palace. This palace is between Kabataş and Beşiktaş in İstanbul.

A detail of Dolmabahçe Palace.

Intensive Reading: How Do Photographers "Read" Their Photo?

2009-07-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

Today we will see some architectures in Istanbul and discuss another type of photo reading.

An old column head at Beşiktaş in Bosphorus-Istanbul.

Intensive reading: When we "read" photos to extract information in depth, we need to be involved in more accurate "reading" focusing on details as well. Now come to the end talking about the types of photo "reading" techniques.
At my recent blogs I spoke about those reading tecniques: skimming, scanning, extensive reading and intensive reading. We can say that these different ways of reading are not mutually exclusive. For instance, one often skims through a piece to see what it is about before deciding whether it is worth scanning a particular piece for the information one is looking for...

An old column base at Beşiktaş in Bosphorus-Istanbul.

So we come practically to see intensive reading: The architectures in Istanbul.

Architecture in Istanbul

2009-07-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

I will try to photograph the architectures in Istanbul. Now I am at Taksim in Istanbul.

CndFlix is thinking a new place to go [photographed by my friend İsmail Taşbiçen].

Scanning: How Do Photographers "Read" Their Photo?

2009-07-03T17:01:00.000-07:00

Scanning: If we want to find only a specific piece of information rather than "reading" the whole photograph in deatil, we quickly go through the photo. We apply same strategy as we look up a word in a dictionary or a name in a directory.

They are not children... What do they do? [Çamlıca and Bosphorus]

What do they do??? They are not grown-up... [Beylerbeyi-Istanbul]

Next time I will speak about "intensive reading type of a photo".

Do You Know How Much Time Had Gone By?

2009-07-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

It was probably around 3 000 years ago that people first began making things to help them measure the passage of time. Having observed the shadows move around trees as the sun moves across the sky, someone drew a circle and put a stick in the center.

Time is... It's dove o'clock! Puh hu!!!

Of course, a sundial did not work at night or cloudy days, so men kept inventing other ways to keep track of time. One invention was a striped candle.
A water clock was another way of telling time.
Candless and water clocks helped people know how much time had gone by. But candles had to be remade, and water clocks had to be refilled. So, after glass blowing was invented, the hourglass came into use.

Time is... It's bolt o'clock! Haydee! Çay simiti, çay!

Finally the first clock with a face and an hour hand was made. Watches came into use as soon as clocks were made small enough to be carrried.

The Navigation & Cabotage Festival in Istanbul

2009-07-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

Today, 01 July 2009, The Navigation & Cabotage Festival (Denizcilik ve Kabotaj Bayramı) is celebrating in Istanbul.

Landing place at Kabataş in Bosphorus.

The ferry is waiting the passengers at Kabataş.

Today the ships and the ferryboats were adorned with different countries's flags. I think the best dress for a ship is a flag...

Skimming: How Do Photographers "Read" Their Photos?

2009-06-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Skimming: It is also one of the types of "reading" a photo. Skimming is "quickly running one's eyes over a photo to get the gist of it". We use this strategy when we want to get a general idea about the photo.

Repairing the adornment of a building at Taksim in Istanbul-1.

Both scanning and surveying are forms of skimming. We scan to get particular information. We survey to get overall impression. When you look at the photos, you will understand what I mean.

Repairing the adornment of a building at Taksim in Istanbul-2.

Next time I will talk about "scanning".

Extensive reading: How Do Photographers" Read" Their Photos?

2009-06-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

While "reading a photograph", I adopt different strategies depending on my purpose. Here I will talk about four types of "reading":

Skimming
Scanning
Extensive reading
Intensive reading

Yes.... İstiklal Caddesi: A big street at Beyoğlu in Istanbul. I look at the people. What do I see? What do you see? You see the photo above!

But I look for this! Yes!

But why? Because you use the "extensive reading". When we "read" the complex image, usually for pleasure, without putting ourselves into any stress, we would be doing extensive "reading". Like a novels we read during vacation requires this type of reading. We do not bother to look every image we do not know because we are interested in global understanding. Thus, we "read" very fluently...

Next time I will speak about the type of "skimming reading". Follow me please....

Return

2009-06-27T20:12:00.000-07:00

Time and words taste
of brine and dry bread.

Wine may go to my head,
but I know one thing: you have camped
in my soul and my spirit will not be damped
but like the flame at Olympos
it will flare again, though all may seen impossible.

Richard McKane, The Turkey Poems, YKY-Istanbul-1994, p. 88.

The Ferry Boat Churned White Foam

2009-06-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

The ferry boat churned white foam
by the bridge. The pavement rose and fell
with the swell. I was in Istanbul
when I should have been in London.

Looking over the Horn at Topkapı Saray.
Hearing the hooting of ships' sirens
and the chug of the engines and the background
roar of traffic beneath.

Hundreds of kites flying in the sky
on reels of string held by children's hands.
In the dawn the walls were like the battlements
of some extended mediaeval castle.

Richard McKane, The Turkey Poems (Türkiye Şiirleri), YKY-Istanbul-1994, p. 64.

Anatolian Side of Bosphorus: Üsküdar

2009-06-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

Üsküdar is a large and densely populated district of Istanbul, on the Anatolian shore of the Bosphorus right opposite the heart of the great city, next to Kadıköy. It is home to about half a million people.

Flower sellers.

Landing place for the ferries at Üsküdar.

Üsküdar is Istanbul's oldest-established residential suburb and still fills that role today. It has a more relaxed atmosphere and therefore better quality of life than the overcrowded European side of the city yet is directly opposite the old city of Eminönü and transport across the Bosphorus is easy by boat or bridge. So there are well-established communities here, many retired people, and many residents commute to the European side for work or school (being cheap and central Üsküdar has a large student population). During the rush-hour, the waterfront is bustling with people running from ferryboats and motorboats onto buses and minibuses. Üsküdar also has the smell of the sea, the sound of foghorns, motorboats and seagulls and one of the best views of the city.

As of 2006, the central square is being dug up for a tunnel under the Bosphorus which will carry an underground railway. However, this is predictably continuously running into artefacts of great archaeological value.

The area behind the ferry dock is a busy shopping district, with many restaurants (including the well-known Kanaat Lokantasi serving Ottoman cuisine and olive oil-based dishes, and great ice cream) and a number of important Ottoman mosques. There is, however, a need for more in the way of cafes, cinemas, billiard halls and places for young people to hang out.

The private Istanbul Commerce University, owned by the chamber of commerce, has a site here.

Night in Bosphorus: Beylerbeyi

2009-06-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

Just beyond the Bosphorus Bridge is Beylerbeyi, an area famous in Istanbul for its fish restaurants, and for the Ottoman Palace on the shore.

The Sabancı family of Turkish industrialists have sponsored the restoration and building of the school, police station and other public buildings, thus making them appropriate to the many very attractive houses and shops in the village.

Night in Bosphorus: Asian & European Sides of Bosphorus

2009-06-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

To have a good time in Bosphorus...

Night in Bosphorus

2009-06-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

Bosphorus Bridge I.

Levent, European side of Bosphorus, at night.

Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge | Bosphorus Bridge I

Eminönü: The Heart of The Walled City of Constantine

2009-06-19T14:55:00.000-07:00

Eminönü is a former district of Istanbul in Turkey, now a neighbourhood of Fatih district. This is the heart of the walled city of Constantine, the focus of a history of incredible richness. Eminönü covers the point on which the Byzantine capital was built.

The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn into Eminönü and the mouth of the Bosphorus opens into the Marmara Sea. And up on the hill stands Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) and Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya).

Thus Eminönü is the main tourist destination in Istanbul. It was a part of the Fatih district until 1928, which covered the whole peninsular area of old Istanbul within the medieval city walls - that area which was formerly the Byzantine capital Constantinople.

Since the resident population of Eminönü is low today, it rejoined the Fatih district in 2009 as it was used to be until 1928.

Things to see in Eminönü: Eminönü has many historical mosques and buildings, many of Istanbul's best-known landmarks.

Recent development has improved Eminönü greatly and many of its winding streets which can at first seem imposing, have been developed and improved, while Eminönü has started to repair the many mosques.

Sultanahmet - which contains Topkapı Palace, Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque and Aya İrini among about a thousand other incredible pieces of architecture;

Sülaymaniye - the huge mosque complex of Suleyman the Magnificent;

Yeni Cami (The New Mosque) - the mosque that dominates the waterfront by the Galata Bridge; there is a wide open space in front where people feed the pigeons.

The Grand Bazaar - as much to look at as to shop in.

The Spice Bazaar - another Ottoman caravanserai, not as huge as the Grand Bazaar but right on the water, next to Yeni Camii;
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque - in Kadırga District (the Byzantine Sophianòn Limin in Greek).

Shopping in Eminönü: The area is heaving with shoppers; especially at weekends people come from all over the city, looking for discount clothing, or plastic accessories, stationery and cheap toys in the streets behind the Spice Bazaar.

You will not find the classy boutiques of the big shopping centres, the clientele in Eminönü is much more traditional and working class.

The narrow climbing street called Mahmutpaşa for example is the place where those of a conservative nature come to buy a coat or a headscarf, or to kit their boys out in the costume they wear on circumcision day. [Thanks Wikipedia.]

View Larger Map

Ortaköy -Bosphorus-İstanbul

2009-06-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

My Bosphorus, My Refuge...

2009-06-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Today I will go to a special place where I will look at Bosphorus: Ortaköy.
Yes, you may come with me...

Ortaköy (literally "Middle Village" in Turkish) is a neighbourhood, formerly a small village, within the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, located in the middle of the European bank of the Bosphorus.

Ortaköy is a cosmopolitan area, with communities of Turks, Greeks, Armenians and Jews. The neighbourhood hosts many different religious (Muslim, Jewish, Orthodox, and other Christian) structures. It is also a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, with its art galleries, night clubs, cafés, bars, and restaurants.

The Neo-Baroque style Ortaköy Mosque is a beautifully ornate structure, right on the jetty of Ortaköy, bordering the waters of the Bosphorus, and thus highly visible from the passing boats.

Several reputable schools, such as Kabataş Erkek Lisesi and Galatasaray University, are located in Ortaköy. The European pylon of the Bosphorus Bridge, one of the two bridges that connect the European and Asian banks of İstanbul, is also situated in this neighbourhood.

View Larger Map

Sightseeing

2009-06-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

A cheap way to explore the Bosphorus is offered by the public ferries that traverse the Bosphorus from Eminönü on the historic peninsula of Istanbul to Anadolu Kavağı near the Black Sea, zigzagging between the Rumelian and Anatolian sides of the city.

It is also possible to experience Bosphorus by taking a regular ride in one of the public ferries that travel in every 45 minutes between the European and the Asian sides. It is also possible to travel by the privately owned ferries available between Üsküdar and Beşiktaş.

There are also tourist rides available in various places along the coasts of Bosphorus. The prices vary according to the type of the ride, and some feature loud popular music for the duration of the trip. [Thanks Wikipedia.]

Associations

2009-06-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

The name comes from the Greek word Bosporos (Βόσπορος). Its etymology is from bous (βοῦς: ox) and poros (πόρος: "means of passing a river, ford, ferry") (the similar Ancient Greek word for "passage, strait" is porthmos (πορθμός), thus meaning "oxen passage", which could reflect the older history of the region. The Greeks analysed it as "ox-ford" or "shallow sea ox passage" and associated it with the myth of Io's travels after Zeus turned her into an heifer for her protection. It has also been thought to be a Thracian form of Phôsphoros (Φωσφόρος), "light-bearing", an epithet of the goddess Hecate.

It is also said in myth that floating rocks known as the Symplegades or Clashing Rocks once crushed any ship that attempted passage of the Bosporus until the hero Jason obtained passage, whereupon the rocks became fixed, and Greek access to the Black Sea was opened. [Thanks Wikipedia.]

Bosphorus

2009-06-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

The Bosporus or Bosphorus (Greek: Βόσπορος), also known as the Istanbul Strait (Turkish: İstanbul Boğazı), is a strait that forms the boundary between the European part (Thrace) of Turkey and its Asian part (Anatolia). It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles. The world's narrowest strait used for international navigation, it connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara (which is connected by the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, and thereby to the Mediterranean Sea). It is approximately 30 km (19 mi) long, with a maximum width of 3,700 m (12,139 ft) at the northern entrance, and a minimum width of 700 m (2,297 ft) between Kandilli and Aşiyan; and 750 m (2,461 ft) between Anadoluhisarı and Rumelihisarı. The depth varies from 36 to 124 m (118 to 407 ft) in midstream. The shores of the strait are heavily populated as the city of Istanbul (with a metropolitan area in excess of 11 million inhabitants) straddles it.

Two bridges cross the Bosporus. The first, the Bosphorus Bridge, is 1,074 m (3,524 ft) long and was completed in 1973. The second, Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Bosphorus II) Bridge, is 1,090 m (3,576 ft) long, and was completed in 1988 about 5 km (3 mi) north of the first bridge. Plans for a third road bridge, which will allow transit traffic to by-pass the city traffic, have been approved by the Ministry of Transportation. The bridge will be part of the "Northern Marmara Motorway", which will be further integrated with the existing Black Sea Coastal Highway. The location will be somewhere north of the existing two bridges, but the exact path is kept secret to avoid an early boom in land prices.

Another crossing, Marmaray, is a 13.7 km (8.5 mi) long undersea railway tunnel currently under construction and is expected to be completed in 2012. Approximately 1,400 m (4,593 ft) of the tunnel will run under the strait, at a depth of about 55 m (180 ft). [Thanks Wikipedia.]

Myts and Beliefs About Photos [and ME]

2009-06-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Myts and Beliefs: Since daguerrotypes were rendered on a mirrored surface, many spiritualists also became practitioners of the new art form. Spiritualists would claim that the human image on the mirrored surface was akin to looking into one's soul. The spiritualists also believed that it would open their souls and let demons in. Aborigines believed that taking one's picture took part of one's soul away.
...

CndBosphorus: Away from the eyes, away from the heart. My Photos of Bosphorus...

About Me: I am a freelance editor... I am the author and creator of the online blogs, CndBosphorus and IstanbulDailyPhotos, where I write about my daily city-life and post to share my photographs, and sometimes videos, songs about Bosphorus in Istanbul. I welcome any constructive criticism, advise and comment. Please let me know your thought. Please click photo to enlarge for better detail...