Description
The Bosphorus — the 31-kilometre strait connecting the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea and separating Europe from Asia — carries one of the world’s highest volumes of maritime traffic, and its shore-to-shore commuter ferry service is one of Istanbul’s defining daily rituals. The vapur ferries cross the strait 15–20 times daily, carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers between the European and Asian districts. The Rumeli Hisarı fortress — built by Mehmed II in 1452 in preparation for the conquest of Constantinople — provides an elevated vantage point above the strait’s narrowest section (660 metres). This photograph was made from the fortress ramparts at midday when the strait’s characteristic fast current (up to 5 knots) creates visible surface texture. The Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge — one of three bridges connecting the continents over the strait — provides the architectural horizon element.
