Strait of Dardanelles - “Sea of Gella” (Bosphorus and Dardanelles on the world map). When will Türkiye close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits?

10.10.2019

Bosphorus

Relations between Russia and Turkey have become significantly tense in recent days after the Turkish Air Force shot down a Russian Su-24 in Syria. Moscow has already imposed sanctions against Ankara, but the Turkish authorities may respond by blocking important straits that provide access to the Mediterranean Sea.

On November 30, it became known that Russian ships were experiencing difficulties crossing the Bosphorus Strait, although the situation later returned to normal. Apparently, weather conditions did not allow ships to pass through the strait in the prescribed manner.

The Bosporus and Dardanelles straits are critical points for merchant and naval shipping, and Turkey has direct control capabilities.

Montreux Convention

Since 1936, the Montreux Convention was adopted, according to which Turkish sovereignty over the Black Sea straits was restored. Although in general all merchant and military vessels have the right of free passage through the straits, Turkey may restrict the passage of merchant ships at night and determine routes if it determines the situation to be an immediate military danger. At the same time, only the Black Sea countries have the right to complete free passage of warships in peacetime, and even they must notify Turkey in advance. For other states, more stringent restrictions apply regarding the classes, tonnage and total number of ships of non-Black Sea states in the Black Sea.

Türkiye should prohibit the passage of any warships through the strait in the event of a war in which it is not involved. Otherwise, Türkiye has the right to determine the degree of danger itself and allow or deny passage.

Roughly speaking, Türkiye can close the passage for warships only in the event of an official declaration of war. At the same time, the UN can reverse the decision using a certain voting procedure.

But this is a theory that is quite different from practice. Türkiye has for decades passed domestic laws that have made it difficult to use the convention's provisions, or attempted to do so.

For example, the Turkish “Regulations for Navigation in the Straits” are now in force, which makes it possible to block the passage under the guise of the need for technical work, a special police operation, etc.

NATO, like Russia, excludes the possibility of blocking the straits.

The importance of the Black Sea Straits

The Bosporus and Dardanelles straits are the only exit from the Black Sea to the world ocean.

Oil, grain, metal and fertilizers are primarily exported from the ports of Novorossiysk along this route.

In addition, Russia carries out most of its supplies for the air base in Syria along this route.

The main transport hub through which supplies on these routes pass is the seaport of Novorossiysk, which is the largest port on the Black Sea. At the end of 2014, the cargo turnover of the port of Novorossiysk increased by 8% compared to 2013 to 121.59 million tons. The number of ship calls increased by 9.8% to 5,780 units. fleet.

In general, the value of goods passing through Novorossiysk customs at the end of last year amounted to $9.852 billion, for 10 months of this year the figure amounted to $5.641 billion.

In the structure of exports, Egypt appears to be the leader, which is explained by the huge volumes of supplies of grain and metallurgical products.

The leaders in the structure of imports through Novorossiysk are China, Türkiye, Egypt, Israel and Brazil.

First of all, fruits and vegetables are imported from Egypt, Turkey and Israel, as well as machinery and equipment from China.

In non-oil exports, cereals and ferrous metals lead by a wide margin, while in imports the main share is occupied by vegetables, fruits and equipment.

Export groups
Product group	Name of product group	Cost ($ million)	Share, %
10	CEREALS	1 270,55	59,67%
72	BLACK METALS	360,14	16,91%
31	FERTILIZERS	168,18	7,90%
15	ANIMAL FATS AND OILS OR OF PLANT ORIGIN	133,08	6,25%
7	VEGETABLES	51,34	2,41%
85	ELECTRIC CARS	23,4	1,10%
25	SULFUR; CEMENT	14,95	0,70%
29	ORGANIC CHEMICAL CONNECTIONS	12,98	0,61%
11	PRODUCTS FLOUR AND CEREAL INDUSTRY	11,9	0,56%
39	PLASTICS AND PRODUCTS FROM THEM	10,25	0,48%
Import groups
Product group	Product name groups	Price (USD million)	Share, %
7	VEGETABLES	484,42	15,09%
8	EDIBLE FRUITS AND NUTS	468,3	14,59%
84	EQUIPMENT	328,68	10,24%
85	ELECTRIC CARS	138,29	4,31%
72	BLACK METALS	138,25	4,31%
89	SHIPS, BOATS AND FLOATING STRUCTURES	134,04	4,18%
17	SUGAR AND SUGAR CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS	133,57	4,16%
20	PROCESSED PRODUCTS OF VEGETABLES, FRUIT,	121,29	3,78%
9	COFFEE, TEA, MATE, OR PARAGUAYAN TEA, AND SPICES	97,71	3,04%
39	PLASTICS AND PRODUCTS FROM THEM	88,77	2,77%

As for energy resources, about 25 million tons of oil and about 37 million more oil products from Russia pass through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits annually. And if approximately 5% of the total production is exported via this route in crude oil, and most of it is supplied via pipelines, then the share of petroleum products is even higher, since they are transported by sea.

As you can see, Turkey may well cause great damage to Russian trade if it takes extreme measures and closes the passage through the straits. But if this happens, it will be a very short-term solution.

With a very high probability, NATO will put pressure on Ankara, since no one wants further escalation in the region. In addition, from a legal point of view, Turkey cannot close the straits only to Russian ships, which means they will be closed completely, which will cause justifiable indignation in many countries.

It is also worth considering that most grain, oil and steel exports are carried out not under Russian flags, but under Liberian, Cypriot, etc. This is a common practice that will reduce the effectiveness of Turkey’s radical steps.

Flags of convenience

So-called “flags of convenience” are used everywhere; according to UNCAD, in 2014, approximately 73% of the world's national tonnage was carried by ships with foreign flags.

Russia shows one of the highest rates of use of “flags of convenience.” ESIMO statistics show that as of 2015, out of 1,387 ships belonging to the beneficiaries of the Russian Federation, only 1,110 sail under the Russian flag. According to other estimates, the share of “flags of convenience” exceeds 70% of domestic tonnage.

Nevertheless, the current legislation allows Ankara to significantly complicate and slow down the work of commercial courts; the only question is a political decision on Erdogan’s part. It cannot be ruled out that for the sake of his own ambitions, the Turkish President will finally decide to turn almost the entire world community against himself.

Türkiye can close the Bofsor and Dardanelles straits in several ways. First, completely prohibit the passage of certain ships, for example, those flying the Russian flag or leaving Russian ports in the Black Sea. This is completely contrary to current legislation and is a gross violation, so Russia can quite successfully act through the UN and NATO. This is an almost suicidal step, which, if it works, is unlikely to last longer than a few days.

Secondly, the straits may be partially blocked to all ships, which Ankara may explain by the need for technical work or ongoing special operations. Although in this case we are not talking about a complete official blocking of the straits, the speed of passage along the route will significantly decrease, which will complicate the work of Russian companies. Searches, checks, inspections - the Turkish side can use all this, but it is unlikely that such actions will take on a massive scale. It is more likely that the Turkish authorities will take such steps in relation to individual courts that are of greatest importance to Russia.

It is hardly worth talking about the complete closure of the straits for all ships of all countries. Türkiye makes good money from transit, taking advantage of its unique geographical location. But if the straits are closed, the region and the whole world will be on the verge of a collapse in maritime cargo transportation, and the reaction of other countries, including NATO partners, will be very fast and, most likely, quite harsh.

Bosphorus Strait on the world map.

Bosphorus(“Istanbul Strait”) is a strait between Europe and Asia Minor, connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. On both sides of the strait stands the Turkish city of Istanbul. The strait provides access to the Mediterranean Sea and the seas of most of Russia, Ukraine, Transcaucasia and southeastern Europe.

Istanbul... The ancient capital of three mighty empires - Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman. A city that separates and at the same time unites Western and Eastern civilization and uniquely conveys the exquisite oriental flavor and culture of modern Europe.

Istanbul, a metropolis of 15 million inhabitants, dates back to the 7th century BC. And even in that distant time, when it was still called Byzantium, the city was a major port and center of maritime trade. This was facilitated by its strategically good location.

The magnificent city of Istanbul is located on the border of two continents, so the Bosphorus can rightly be called the heart of the city. The amazingly beautiful Bosphorus Strait enchants with its waters and contrasting shores. Next to fishing villages and modern skyscrapers, there are majestic palaces that perfectly reflect the fate of the city - a symbol of the interweaving of luxury and poverty, antiquity and modernity.

Bosphorus extends 30 kilometers in length, its maximum width is 3700 meters, its minimum is 700 meters, and the depth of the strait reaches 80 meters.

The mirror waters of the Bosphorus, betraying the charm of the old city, cannot be compared with anything, they are in all possible shades of green, turquoise and blue. All the greatness and squalor of Constantinople is reflected in the sparkling surface of this strait. Summer residences and elegant palaces, which are scattered randomly along the banks, peacefully coexist with ramshackle villages inhabited by fishermen. Only occasionally the impression created by ancient buildings is destroyed by the steely shine of modern skyscrapers.

Map of the Bosphorus Strait in Russian

Sasha Mitrakhovich 21.10.2015 15:39

The Bosphorus is surrounded by many legends that have their own versions of the origin of the name of the strait. One of the most common is that the strait got its name thanks to the beautiful Io, which Zeus turned into a white cow. The unfortunate girl jumped into the water, which has since been called the “cow ford” or the Bosphorus.

The name of the Bosphorus Strait comes from two Greek words: “bull” and “passage” - “cow ford”, and the strait itself is closely connected with ancient Greek myths, one of which says that:

Zeus fell in love with Io, the priestess of Hera, who was the daughter of King Inachus. For this, the wife of the loving Zeus turned Io into a cow and sent a terrible hornet at her, from which Io tried in vain to escape. What helped her out was that she hid in the waters of the Bosphorus, which after that got its name - “cow ford”.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.10.2015 21:02

The Bosphorus Strait on the world map is located in the territory of modern Turkey and separates Europe and Asia, and Istanbul is located on both sides.

The Bosphorus Strait is a 30-kilometer winding crack connecting the Black Sea with and further, through, with the Mediterranean, has a depth of 30 to 80 meters, and its maximum width does not exceed 4 kilometers.

Bosphorus Strait on the World Map:

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.10.2015 21:11

The banks of the Bosphorus are connected by the Bosphorus Bridge, which is more than 1,000 meters long, and the Sultan Mehmed Fatih Bridge, which is 1,090 meters long. It is also planned to build a third road bridge with a length of 1,275 meters.

If we turn to real, and not imaginary history, we can find out that the first to build a bridge across the strait was the Persian king Darius, who transported an army of seven hundred thousand across the Bosporus on a temporary bridge, which consisted of rafts thrown from ship to ship. As grandiose an undertaking as he accomplished in engineering terms, the campaign to the Scythian possessions itself was a mediocre failure. Without accepting a single battle, Darius lost his entire unimaginably huge army.

There are two bridges across the Bosphorus. The first of them is called Bosphorus. Since its completion in 1973, almost 200,000 vehicles pass through it every day from one continent to another. It is Istanbul's most famous landmark. The total length of this suspension bridge is 1560 meters.

The second bridge bears the name of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, it is also called the “Second Bosphorus Bridge”. The bridge was built near the Rumeli-Hisary fortress for the 535th anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmed Fatih, its length is slightly less - 1510 meters, it was completed in 1988. At the time when it began to be built, many said that the bridge could spoil the silhouette of the city and all the beauty of the Bosphorus. But, despite this, the bridge, built in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, among the great historical monuments, along with its mosques and palaces, was able to harmoniously fit into the convolutions of the surrounding hills.

Third Bosphorus Bridge(Sultan Selim the Terrible Bridge), the construction of which began in 2013, will cross the Bosphorus in its northern part, at the exit to the Black Sea. The bridge will combine two railway lines and eight car lanes at one level. Construction of the bridge is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2015.

Monstrously huge, during the day they look like graceful thin threads stretched from one shore to another, and at night they shine under the starry sky with lights of all the colors of the rainbow.

Today's residents of Turkey are proud of their bridges across the strait.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.10.2015 21:13

Marmaray Tunnel under Bosphorus Strait. In the fall of 2013, a railway tunnel was opened along the bottom of the Bosphorus, connecting the two continents. Only four minutes on it - and the strait is crossed. And from the final station to the final station on the Marmaray line it takes 18 minutes, then you can change to the metro.

A tunnel was built to reduce the load on existing bridges across the Bosphorus and to reduce atmospheric gas pollution. During construction, engineers took special care of the safety of passengers; all possible measures were taken to ensure that the Marmaray tunnel was not damaged by tremors in this earthquake-prone area.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.10.2015 21:15

Beautiful panoramas do not cause satiety. On the shores of the strait there is a mixture of past and present, luxury and poverty: marble palaces adjoin the ruins of stone fortresses, modern hotels stand next to wooden yawls.

Since the end of the 17th century, during the Ottoman Empire, pashas, viziers and simply wealthy families built houses, mansions and palaces along the coast, where previously there was only a scattering of fishing villages. Then the architectural brainchild of the Bosphorus arose - the seaside mansion - yali. Translated from Turkish it means “house by the water.”

Usually it was a wooden house of several floors, standing at the very edge of the water. This tradition has survived to this day. Many ancient yawls that have survived to this day, after restoration, became restaurants, expensive boutique hotels and homes of the city elite.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.10.2015 21:19

There are many convenient bays in the strait. The most beautiful of which is. This bay, with its shape, resembled a horn, which is why in ancient times it was called “Horned Bay”. The shores of this bay are as winding as the shores of the Bosphorus, so the bay forms a convenient anchorage for large and small ships. There are no rivers at the mouth of this harbor, so the waters have always been clean and transparent.

In addition, the Golden Horn is reliably protected from the winds. Winter here begins no earlier than December, and snow on the Bosphorus is very rare. Autumn is quite long and is the best time to visit the strait.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.10.2015 21:20

The most common theory (the "Black Sea Flood Theory") states that the Bosporus Strait was formed around 5600 BC. as a result of the melting of large masses of ice and snow at the end of the last ice age, due to a sharp rise in water levels by 140 meters.

The level of the Black and Mediterranean Seas was then 120 m below the level of the World Ocean and there was no communication between the seas.

In just a matter of days, a powerful stream made its way from the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea, which at that time was a freshwater lake.

This is indicated, in particular, by the bottom topography, as well as the change in aquatic plants and sedimentary rocks from freshwater to saltwater at approximately the time indicated above. Recent archaeological research has uncovered submerged cities on the underwater slopes of Turkey's Black Sea coast.

Most likely, it was the formation of the Bosphorus that became the reason for the emergence of the myth of the Flood and Noah's Ark. By the way, Mount Ararat is located relatively nearby, in Eastern Anatolia.

Another reason for the appearance of the strait could be an earthquake.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.10.2015 21:23

To fully experience the Bosphorus Strait, you need to take a fascinating cruise along the strait on board any tourist boat in the Karakoy quarter. A walk along the Bosphorus Strait is an indescribable pleasure. The whole of Istanbul with its inherent grandeur and pathos will appear before your eyes. Finding yourself on board a pleasure boat in the evening, you can try to look into the very soul of the “miracle of miracles” - the ancient Greek name for Constantinople.

The city at sunset seems to put on its most beautiful mask. In the cramped conditions of departing ferries, crowded ships, the roar of trumpets during the setting sun, you can watch the city light up its wonderful lights on the hills. The voices of the muezzins are heard. They say that in the old days blind heralds were often hired for evening prayers so that they would not be embarrassed by the beauty of the coming night. Hagia Sophia, like the mast of a ship, rises above the city and gives it an unearthly enchanting view from the Bosphorus.

You can see all this from board a regular passenger and tourist ferry, starting from Eminonu and passing almost to the Black Sea. The final destination is Anadolu-Kavagi, where you can get off, walk for a couple of hours and return back on the next flight with the same ticket. Or on excursion yachts from the same Eminonu, but they will take you maximum to the second bridge, and will cost more.

There is nothing more spectacular than the Bosphorus in the evening. Painted with the scarlet color of the setting sun, the Bosphorus Strait and the city put on a special mask, mysterious and enchanting.

This is the narrowest point of the Bosphorus - only about 650 meters. This is where Europe comes closest to Asia. And here, between the two fortresses, in the old days they stretched a huge iron chain across the strait and “locked” the Bosporus for incoming ships.

The Bosphorus Strait has an important geopolitical position. Since the Trojan War of the XIII-XII centuries. BC e. it has repeatedly become a cause of international tension, especially during periods of weakening of one of the main great powers.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 22.10.2015 21:27

What strait connects the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea?

No strait connects, look at the map
According to http://ru.wikipedia.org
Bosphorus (Turkish #304;stanbul Bo#287;az#305; Istanbul Strait) is a strait between Europe and Asia Minor, connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and together with the Dardanelles with the Mediterranean. The Bosphorus is part of the intra-Eurasian border. The largest Turkish city, Istanbul, is located on both sides of the strait.
The length of the strait is about 30 km. The maximum width of the strait is 3700 m in the north, the minimum width is 700 meters (this is the narrowest intercontinental strait) 1. The depth of the fairway is from 33 to 80 m2.
According to one of the most widespread legends, the strait got its name thanks to the daughter of the ancient Argive king, the beautiful beloved of Zeus named Io, who was turned by him into a white cow to avoid the wrath of his wife Hera. Unhappy Io chose the water route to salvation, diving into the blue of the strait, which has since been called the cow ford or Bosporus 3.
The banks of the strait are connected by two bridges: the 1074-meter-long Bosphorus Bridge (completed in 1973) and the 1090-meter-long Sultan Mehmed Fatih Bridge (built in 1988) 5 km north of the first bridge. It is planned to build a third road bridge in the northern part of the strait on the Black Sea coast. The 1,275 meter long bridge will connect the Northern Marmara Expressway with the Trans-European Highway. The preliminary price of the project is about $56 billion. The path on the bridge will consist of eight lanes 4. Currently, construction is underway on the Marmaray5 railway tunnel (completion date 2013), which will unite the high-speed transport systems of the European and Asian parts of Istanbul.
It is assumed (the Black Sea flood theory) that the Bosphorus was formed only 75,005,000 years ago. Previously, the level of the Black and Mediterranean seas was significantly lower, and they were not connected. At the end of the last ice age, as a result of the melting of large masses of ice and snow, the water level in both reservoirs rose sharply. In just a matter of days, a powerful stream of water made its way from one sea to another, as evidenced by the bottom topography and other signs.

The ancient Greeks also called the Kerch Strait the Cimmerian Bosporus.
The Bosphorus is one of the most important straits, as it provides access to the Mediterranean Sea and the world's oceans in large parts of Russia, Ukraine, Transcaucasia and southeastern Europe. In addition to agricultural and industrial products, oil from Russia and the Caspian region plays a large role in exports through the Bosphorus.
In the winters of 1621–1669, the strait was covered with ice. These times were characterized by a general decrease in temperature in the region and were called the Little Ice Age.
The Bosphorus Strait is translated from Greek as cattle ford. And this statement must be taken literally, that is, this name arose at a time when cattle could cross the strait from one bank to the other, with a ford depth of about one meter. And this ford apparently existed at the bottom threshold of the Bosphorus with its depth of 27.5 meters. There are known works to determine the erosion terraces of the coastal slopes of the eastern and western shores of the Atlantic Ocean. There are exactly 31 of them: from a depth of 155 meters to the very surface of the ocean. Their genesis is a meteorite-bolide-asteroid: with their successive falls into the ocean, its level periodically increased. And for the threshold of the Bosphorus with a depth of 27.5 meters, the age of the overlap of this height of land with a mass of sea water 6 m in height is equal to the age - 146575 BC. e. In 117260 BC. e. such a catastrophe happened again. Researcher
The Orsky Straits successively connect the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean Sea, which is part of the Mediterranean. They also separate Europe (Thrace) from Asia Minor (Anatolia). The straits provide access to the Mediterranean Sea and the world's oceans in large parts of Russia, Ukraine, Transcaucasia and the countries of south-eastern Europe. In addition to agricultural and industrial goods, a significant share of exports through the Straits is oil from Russia and other Caspian countries.
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1 Description
1.1 Bosphorus
1.2 Dardanelles
2 Question about the Straits
3 Notes
4 See also
5 Literature
6 Links
edit Bosphorus
Bospho#769;r (Turkish #304;stanbul Bo#287;az#305;, Greek #914;#972;#963;#960;#959;#961;#959;#962;) strait, connecting the Black Sea with the Marmara Sea. The length is about 30 km, the maximum width is 3,700 m in the north, the minimum width of the strait is 700 meters. The depth of the fairway is from 36 to 124 m. The historical city of Constantinople, now Istanbul, is located on both sides of the Bosphorus.
The banks of the strait are connected by two bridges: the 1074-meter-long Bosphorus Bridge (completed in 1973) and the 1090-meter-long Sultan Mehmed Fatih Bridge (built in 1988) 5 km north of the first bridge. A third road bridge is planned, but the Turkish government is keeping the construction location secret for now to avoid rising land prices. The Marmaray railway tunnel is currently under construction (completion date 2012), which will unite Istanbul's transport systems located in the European and Asian parts of the city.
edit Dardanelles
Dardane#769;lla (Turkish #199;anakkale Bo#287;az#305;, Greek #916;#945;#961;#948;#945;#957;#941;#955;#955; #953;#945;), ancient Greek name Hellespo#769;nt. The strait between the European Gallipoli Peninsula and northwestern Asia Minor. It connects the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean. The coordinates of the Dardanelles are 4015 north latitude and 2631 east longitude. The length of the strait is 61 kilometers, width from 1.2 to 6 kilometers. The average depth of the fairway is 55 meters.
There is a strait there, but few people notice it. This is the Bosphorus
Bosphorus - but not directly
The Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea are not directly connected. The Black Sea is connected to the Sea of Marmara through the Bosphorus, the Marmara Sea is connected to the Aegean Sea through the Dardanelles, and the Aegean Sea is connected to the Mediterranean Sea through several straits.
Thank you
Right now, as a gift, there’s a little left and I’ll call it by your name.
There is no such strait
black earth

The land border of Europe and Asia runs through the mountains, the Ural Mountains and the Caucasus, and the sea border passes through the waters of several seas and the Bosphorus Strait. The article will discuss which sea is connected to the Marmara Bosphorus Strait.

Bosphorus: origin

A touching ancient Greek myth is associated with the name of the strait between the shores of Europe and Asia. Once Zeus fell in love with the beautiful girl Io, who was the daughter of the river god. To avoid the wrath of Hera, the wife of Zeus, Io, taking the form of a cow, threw herself into the waters of the strait, which has since been called the Cow (Bull) Ford, or Bosporus. Many people do not suspect which sea is connected to the Bosphorus Strait of Marmara. The sea that is connected to Marmara through the Bosphorus is the Black Sea.

The formation of the strait is explained by the Black Sea flood that occurred about 8 thousand years ago. He connected the two seas: since then the Bosphorus (strait) has connected the Black Sea and another version of the formation of the strait is the flooding of the river bed. Both versions have scientific evidence: the bottom topography and flora features are explained by the first point of view, and the presence of a double current, fresh and salty, by the second.

Bosphorus: meaning

The strait has an exceptional geographical position. It demarcates Europe and Asia. leading from the Black Sea to Marmara and back, is the only route from the Black Sea to the World Ocean. Thus, the Bosphorus has important geopolitical significance. Through the waters of the Bosphorus, goods are transited from Europe, in particular from the Black Sea countries (Russia, Ukraine, Caucasus states) to Africa, North and South America, and vice versa. Which sea is connected to the Bosphorus Strait of Marmara? This is the Black Inland Sea, for which this strait, about 30 km long, is a strategically important route of communication with the open Mediterranean.

Dardanelles

To access the World Ocean, ships heading to the Sea of Marmara (which sea is connected to the Bosphorus Strait of Marmara is discussed above) need to overcome not only the Bosphorus, but also another, no less significant strait - the Dardanelles. This is a set of straits connecting the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean and further with the Mediterranean. It is twice as long as the Bosphorus. The Dardanelles and the Bosporus are equally important geographical, economic and political sites.

Bosphorus and Türkiye

On both sides of the strait there is territory occupied by Türkiye. The Bosphorus Strait has been closed more than once by the Turkish authorities for political and economic reasons. Foreign ships were allowed through the Bosphorus only after receiving a special license from Turkey. Because of this policy, disputes periodically arise between the Black Sea states and Turkey. Currently, the waters of the Bosphorus are considered open, but the Turkish authorities have reserved the right to restrict the passage of military vessels and ships of non-Black Sea countries through the strait.

Bosphorus and Istanbul

The history of one of the oldest cities on the planet - Istanbul - is directly connected with the Bosphorus. Istanbul's location is unique: its territory lies in both Europe and Asia, and the Bosphorus serves as a natural border between the two parts of the world and the city. At the same time, the European part of the city is the main cultural and historical center where the majority of the population lives. The city of Istanbul (aka Byzantium) is also mentioned in ancient Russian chronicles as the place from which Orthodoxy originated on Russian soil. This city, with the Bosphorus at its heart, has the largest population in Europe. Perhaps this is due to its favorable location, its rich history and unique culture.

The Bosphorus also makes Istanbul the busiest sea route in the world. For example, the load on the connecting Red Sea with the Mediterranean is three times less. Ships from the Black Sea countries continuously ply along the Bosphorus.

Such congestion has a significant impact on the ecology of the city. Rarely, but they happen from tankers passing through the Black Sea. Ships, cars, and a large number of enterprises pollute the environment of Istanbul. On the shores of the Bosphorus you cannot hear the splash of waves due to noise pollution, and at night the stars are rarely visible from the city due to light oversaturation. However, the current environmental situation in Istanbul does not stop the multimillion-dollar flow of tourists. After all, the city is truly unique.

on the Bosphorus

It is impossible to imagine Istanbul without numerous ferries and vapors running from one bank of the Bosphorus to the other. The city's population cannot do without this transport, because a significant part of the population from the Asian part of Istanbul visits the European part every day. Vapors and ferries create a special flavor of the city. They also help tourists get to some attractions located on the banks of the Bosphorus.

From the coastline, tourists can see the Dolmahce, Yildiz, Bukoleon palaces, the ruins of the Vlaharna Palace, numerous fortresses and castles.

The main one is the Topkani Palace Museum - perhaps the most majestic palace of the Ottoman sultans, occupying the extreme point of Cape Sarayburnu, which is washed by the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus Strait.

Istanbul, where pleasures and dangers coexist, fascinates with its beauty, ancient and fascinating history, and special culture. However, tankers carrying petroleum products and other hazardous substances are a cause for concern. The terrain and coastline of the Bosphorus are difficult for large ships to navigate. But highly qualified pilots help avoid disasters on the Bosphorus.

Visiting this place (together with the adjacent city of Canakkale), images of glorious warriors, their patrons and muses arise. Among them: Xerxes 1, Alexander the Great, Mark Antony, Cleopatra and many others.

The Dardanelles is a strait between the northwestern part of Asia Minor and the European part of Turkey. The Dardanelles Strait, whose width ranges from 1.3 km to 6 km and a length of 65 km, is of great strategic importance, as it is part of the waterway connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Black Sea.

Legends of the Dardanelles Strait (Sea of Gella)

The outdated name of the strait is Hellespont, which is translated from Greek as “Sea of Hell”.

This name is associated with the ancient myth of twins, brother and sister, Phrixus and Hell. Born by the Orchomen king Athamas and Nephele, the children were soon left without a mother - they were raised by the evil stepmother Ino.

She wanted to destroy her brother and sister, but the twins escaped on a flying ram with golden wool. During the flight, Gella slipped into the water and died.

The place where the girl fell - between Chersonesos and Sigei - has since been nicknamed the “Sea of Hell”.

The Dardanelles Strait received its modern name from the name of the ancient city that once stood on its shore - Dardania.

Dardanelles - the history of warriors for the strait since the ancient world

The Dardanelles Strait has long been the object of strategic struggle. The history of the strait is marked by a lot of battles and recorded in many international agreements. And the main historical relic near the strait is the ruins.

- UNESCO World Heritage Site: from the Neolithic period (Kutempe in the vicinity of Troy) to 350 BC. e. — 400 g. e. — 9 archaeological layers of the city itself;
Gelibolu: the tower of the Byzantine fortification of Kallipolis (restored in the 14th century), in it there is the Museum of the Turkish Admiral Piri Reis, the author of a guide to the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, a fortress (XIV century), the Suleiman Pasha Mosque (XIV century), the Mevlevi House (XVII c.), Memorial to Russian soldiers in the vicinity of the city;
Gelibolu Peninsula— Troy and 32 other ancient monuments, Peace National Park, dedicated to the history of the First World War (weapons, sunken ships, dug trenches, defensive structures).
Canakkale: mosques: Kaley Sultaniye, Köprülü Mehmed Pasha, Sefer Shah; museums: Archaeological, Ataturk, Military, Troyan; monuments to fallen Australian, English and New Zealand soldiers, numerous hot springs.
The monument to Russian soldiers in the Russian cemetery, called the "Naked Field", erected in 2008, is a reconstruction of the 1921 monument, destroyed by the 1949 earthquake. The first monument was given to Geli-bol by General A.P. Kutepov, when he the corps left the city. There is a cross on the top of the stone mound. The inscription on the monument reads: “The First Corps of the Russian Army - to their warrior brothers, who, in the struggle for the honor of the Motherland, found eternal peace in a foreign land in 1920-1921 and in 1854-1855, and to the memory of their Cossack ancestors.”
For almost the entire time of World War II, Türkiye maintained neutrality; the Dardanelles were closed to ships from the warring countries. In February 1945, Türkiye entered the war on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition, but limited itself to this declaration.
Recently, there have been increasing calls in Turkey to reconsider the provisions of the Montreux Convention. We are talking about an environmental threat to the Straits due to the increasing density of ship traffic and the increasing number of accidents with oil tankers.
In 2011, Turkish archaeologist Rustem Aslan, the head of excavations on the territory of Troy, made a statement that his group, working on the coast near the town of Canakkale, discovered at the bottom of the strait the remains of an ancient settlement, whose age is approximately five thousand years. According to Aslan, only about 5% of his buildings have survived.