The Golden Horn Bay area in Istanbul “Haliç” is one of the tourist attractions that attract visitors from inside and outside Turkey thanks to the special fabric that characterizes the historical peninsula in Istanbul.

The three bridges extending between the two banks of the Gulf of the Golden Horn give a special elegance to the region, especially when lit at night, in addition to their contribution to the Istanbul transportation network. Over time, they became like decades that adorn the city.

Galata Bridge:

Galata Bridge was built in the year 1845 by Bezm Alem, the mother of Sultan Abdul Majid I. It was initially made of wood and was called the “New Bridge”, but it had a short lifespan as it was wooden. In the year 1863, the commander of Istanbul reconstructed it and it was opened in the same year.

The year 1914 witnessed the construction of the electric tram line “Eminonu – Karakoy” over this bridge, whose construction began in 1987, and before the construction of the new bridge was completed, a large fire broke out for unknown reasons at the historic Galata Bridge in May 1992 and caused great damage to the bridge. The fire accelerated the pace of work on the bridge, which was still under construction in the same year, and it was opened instead of the historic Galata Bridge. Its length is 490 meters, and a part of it with a length of 80 meters can be opened and closed, as the Galata Bridge consists of 11 parts.

Ataturk Bridge:

It connects the historical peninsula of Istanbul to the Beyoglu district and is known to the public as the “Oncpani Bridge”. Its plans were completed in the year 1930, and on April 24 of the same year, it was officially named by the Turkish Parliament as “Mustafa Kemal Bridge” and the tender was held for its construction in year 1935.

The bridge was opened after the completion of its construction by German groups of companies in the year 1940 and is still in use today. The bridge was built on 24 floating pontoons. Its length is 453.5 meters and its width is 25 meters. It is the main artery for traffic in Istanbul.

Gulf Metro Bridge:

Its construction began in early 2009 and was opened in 2014. It is an arch tower supported by cables, and the M2 metro line passes through it. The latest methods of modern technology were used to establish a metro station over the bridge for the first time in the world, and it can be opened and closed horizontally unlike other bridges, which ensures easier crossing For huge ships passing through the Golden Horn Bay.

The Gulf Metro Bridge is monitored around the clock through 3D sensors installed on it, and the length of the section attached to the cables is 360 meters, and about 1,000 people participated in its construction. It carries weights of up to 3,500 tons over a span of 120 metres.