|
At the northern end of
the Galata
Bridge across Istanbul's
Golden
Horn lies the district called
Karaköy (Galata; map).
It's among the city's oldest and most
historic districts, and is today
an important transportation point,
similar
to Eminönü,
at the opposite (southern) end of Galata
Bridge.
Cruise
ships moor at the docks by
the Karaköy
Yolcu Salonu (Passenger
Terminal) right in the heart of the
city. More...
Ferries depart Karaköy for
the Asian
shore of the Bosphorus (map),
going to both Haydarpaşa
Station and Kadıköy.
IDO
ferryboats depart
from the dock east of the Galata
Bridge. TurYol
boats depart from west of the bridge
(the Golden
Horn side; map).
Although you'll probably get to know Karaköy as
a place to board a ferry, ship, tram or
the Tünel (underground
train to Istiklal
Caddesi), it's also a good
place to buy hardware, fish,
insurance and baklava,
of all things.
Around the year 1000, the emperor
of Byzantium granted
to the merchants of Genoa the
right to settle and do business on
the northern shore of the
Golden Horn
his capital, Constantinople.
This district—Galata—developed
rapidly, and the Genoese built sturdy
fortifications to protect
themselves and their warehouses. Fragments
of the Genoese walls are still visible,
but most visible of all is the highest
and strongest point in the walls, the
Galata Tower.
Wander through the old streets and
you'll find some curious sights, such
as the Church of the Virgin
Mary of
the Independent
Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate (Bağımsız
Türk Ortodoks Patrikhanesi), a
dissident group that broke away from
the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchage
in Fener in 1922.
Climb
the steep hillside toward Galata
Tower along the street named
Yüksek Kaldırım to
see some of the city's fine old Frankish (European) houses,
several of the city's most historic
synagogues,
and of course the Galata
Tower.
|
