Galata Bridge
The Golden Horn is a narrow body of water that branches off the Bosphorus Strait, dividing the European side of Istanbul into the Old Town peninsula (to the south) and the New District (to the north). For thousands of years, this inlet provided safe harbor for ships. The Galata Bridge, which crosses the Golden Horn near the Bosphorus, has long been a popular subject for writers and artists.
Our guide Erdinç had booked a dinner reservation for us at one of his favorite rooftop restaurants. To get there, we walked across the Galata Bridge. It was the golden hour before sunset. On the far side of the water, Galata Tower rose above the New District. The bridge teemed with traffic - cars, trams, and pedestrians. Along the railing, dozens of fisherman stood patiently with their poles.
The rooftop restaurant at the Momento Hotel had marvelous views of the Galata Bridge and the Golden Horn. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and a beautiful sunset. Now we could see the restaurants under the bridge. Ferryboats criss-crossed the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, and in every direction, the domes and minarets of mosques were silhouetted against the sky.
As we walked back to our hotel after dinner, the Galata Bridge seemed even more crowded than before! We were surprised to see families having dinner at makeshift tables, amidst the crush of pedestrians. It seems it wasn’t just a bridge, it was also a destination.
Fun Facts
The current bridge is actually the fifth bridge to cross the Golden Horn at this spot near the Bosphorus - it was built in 1994.
In 1453, the Turks placed their ships side by side from one shore of the Golden Horn to the other, creating a mobile bridge that their troops could cross on foot.
In 1503, Leonardo da Vinci designed a new bridge for the Golden Horn, a single span 920 feet long that would have been the longest in the world. Unfortunately, the sultan did not approve da Vinci’s design, and his bridge was never built.
Legend has it that British soldiers stationed in Istanbul during the Crimean War would cross the Galata Bridge to coffee houses, where they invented a new card game and called it “Bridge.”
