The Bosporus Strait dividing Istanbul in two parts – European and Asian – is rightly considered one the sights of the city. It will be fine to have a boat ride to the Bosporus Bridge, especially in the evening when you can admire the city at sunset.
You can go aboard a pleasure boat at the landing near the Galata Bridge. Pleasure boats depart hourly. They go along the picturesque European shore in one direction and along the Asian shore, to the Maiden`s Tower, in the other direction.
However, you can enjoy the most beautiful views just at the Galata Bridge. From a pleasure boat you can see the Süleymaniye Mosque on a high hill overlooking the Golden Horn Bay, as well as several other coastal mosques. The Galata Tower is on the opposite shore. Also, from a pleasure boat you can have a wonderful view of the Sultanahmet with the Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia. Then a pleasure boat goes along the European shore of the Bosporus Strait. The Dolmabahçe Palace is located there. It is near the Nusretiye clock tower. The Findiki Park is further on.
Pleasure boats turn around under the Bosporus Bridge and go back. The Bosporus Bridge was built in 1973 by the 50th anniversary of the Turkish Republic. It is about 64 meters above the water, with a length of some 1530 meters. The bridge connects Europe and Asia.
From the Asian part of Istanbul you can admire beautiful mosques and, surely, the Maiden`s Tower, which is the main sight of the Bosporus Strait. The tower is on a rocky islet at the Asian shore of the Bosporus Strait, opposite the entrance to the Golden Horn Bay. For several centuries it served a light-house but today it houses a restaurant and a cultural center.
