Galata Bridge is a must-see place for a walk where you will breathe Istanbul to the fullest. Who hasn't crossed this bridge, it's as if he hasn't been to Istanbul. In Turkish, the bridge is called Galata Koprusu, located on the Golden Horn. The bridge is the main link between the districts of Bayazit, Fatih, Sultanahmet, Eminönü with the districts of Galata, Beyoğlu, Harbiye and other districts in the north of the European part of the city of Istanbul.
Galata Bridge is a bridge where you will see fishermen from dawn to late evening, a bridge for pedestrians, cars and public transport.
The sight is amazing, you get the feeling that all the fishermen of Istanbul are in one place, with rubber boots and raincoats during the rain. They are not hindered by the weather conditions on the first bridge built on the Golden Horn. Emperor Justinian I built the bridge during his reign in the 6th century. Galata Bridge is one of the main tourist attractions in Istanbul.
After 1453, a pontoon bridge was built to allow troops to cross the gulf smoothly during the siege of Constantinople. Although the history of the bridge is very long, the most interesting information about the construction of the bridge happened during the reign of Sultan Bayazit II. In 1502, he requested a plan and draft from a group of contractors, to which Leonardo da Vinci applied with his draft, which was rejected. In his design, the bridge was 240 meters long and 24 meters wide, but the Sultan rejected that project. Then there was a plan to engage Michelangelo in designing the bridge, but he refused. The construction of the bridge lasted until the 19th century and the bridge was finally built in 1994.
As a symbol of Istanbul, the stunning bridge is often found in pictures, songs, stories, and movies. It is an art that has a weight like no other bridge in Turkey
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
Contact: [email protected]; instagram: travel_europe1
Photo by Mathias Reding on Unsplash
