Golden Horn

The Golden Horn Turkish: Halic is an inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming the natural harbor that has sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of years. Its Greek and English names mean the same, but the significance of the designation "golden" is obscure, while it’s Turkish name Halic simply means "estuary".  For ‘Golden’ name there are two legends, first one is the Byzantines threw so many valuables into it during the Ottoman Conquest that the waters glistened with gold. The second one is name is given because of the gold light that seemingly comes out of the river when the sun goes down. 

It has witnessed many tumultuous historical incidents, and its dramatic vistas have been the subject of countless works of art..

The Golden Horn is a flooded prehistoric estuary. It is 7.5 kilometers long and is 750 meters across at its widest. It’s maximum depth, where it flows into the Bosphorus, is about 35 meters. It is today spanned by four bridges. Moving downstream, the first is the Halic Bridge, literally Estuary Bridge. The former Galata Bridge was damaged by a fire in 1992; it was moved to the second position in pieces, re-assembled, and restored as the Eski Galata Bridge, literally Old Galata Bridge. The third one is the Ataturk bridge. The current Galata Bridge was completed in 1994. A fifth bridge is currently under construction to connect the subway lines of the Istanbul Metro to the north and south of the Golden Horn.

Until the 1980s the Horn was polluted with industrial waste, but it has since been cleaned. Today its history and beauty make it a popular tourist attraction in Istanbul.

The best places to observe the Golden Horn’s activity and grace are the Galata Bridge if you want ringside seats, and the Topkapi Palace or Pierre Loti Café if you prefer a bird’s-eye view. 

Everywhere in Istanbul smells history and Golden Horn is one of them. When you travel to Turkey, walk around the horn and imagine the history. Stay a hotel which has the view of the horn.