Where is the Golden Horn Bay located? What is the Golden Horn in Istanbul? What are functional cookies

Istanbul and the Golden Horn are inseparable concepts. A long curved bay divides the European part of Istanbul into two parts and gives the city a special, unique identity.

A little history about the Golden Horn

The Golden Horn is a bay or bay that was formed as a result of the shift of huge tectonic masses of the earth's crust. In the seventh century, the area on the shore of the bay flowing into the Bosphorus Strait was quickly settled by the Greeks, who gave the new city the name Byzantium.

The bay, with its characteristic curved shape, is about eight kilometers long, its width varies and reaches seven hundred meters. The depth in the Golden Horn Bay is impressive - almost forty meters. This led to the navigability and rapid construction of Greek ports, the main advantage of which remains to this day - the absence of strong waves.

Today, the Golden Horn in Istanbul is fed with fresh water from two small streams that create its mouth - AliBeySu and KiatHaneSu. However, the vast majority of the water mass
formed due to the Marmara and Black Seas.

Initially, the townspeople settled on the southern bank of the Golden Horn. Ports, berths, and warehouses gradually emerged here. In the eighth century, the entrance to the Golden Horn was closed with a chain, which made a water siege of Constantinople impossible. After the city was captured by the Crusader troops, the Galata region gradually emerged on the northern shore, which was completely controlled by the Genoese. And only after the fall of Constantinople under the blows of the Ottoman army was the basis created for uniting the territories of the northern and southern banks of the Golden Horn into a single city of Istanbul.

Where did the name Golden Horn come from?

Let's start with the fact that the geometric similarity of the shape of the bay with a horn is obvious. And the golden horn was nicknamed in very ancient times, when the Greeks were the founders of the city,
The bay was called Chrysokeras (Greek golden horn). Apparently, due to the special color of the water in the bay in the rays of the setting sun. There is another beautiful legend. After a huge gap appeared in the wall of Constantinople and Ottoman troops began to occupy the first quarters of the city, the townspeople dumped all their gold reserves into the waters of the bay so that it would not go to the conquerors.

Golden Horn today

The shores of the Golden Horn in Istanbul are unusually picturesque - lowland areas adjacent to high hills. In the center there are two large islands on which construction is prohibited.
Thanks to cleanup work and the relocation or closure of hundreds of industrial plants and docks, fish have gradually returned to the Golden Horn in Istanbul (Tur. Halić) - mackerel and mullet have already settled in waters that were previously famous for unusually large tuna and even oysters. Navigation has been restored in the water area, but swimming is prohibited due to sanitary standards.

Districts and districts around the Golden Horn

The most famous districts surrounding the Golden Horn coast in Istanbul are Fatih (European part in the south) and Beyoglu (European part in the north). On the banks of Halic in Istanbul
there are structures and buildings of many neighborhoods and districts, these are Fener, Vefa, Eminonu, Eyup, Hasaköy, Ayvansaray, Kasimpasa, Karakoy. The coast of the Golden Horn has been improved in recent years - busy highways run along it, cozy parks and squares have been laid out. It is difficult to count the many historical attractions that are simply “stuffed” with the neighborhoods of the areas going down to the shores of the bay. In the Eminonu area, this is Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman sultans. In the Vefa area is the majestic and elegant Suleymaniye Mosque, which was erected by order of Sultan Suleyman Kanuni. In the Eyup region there are the most revered historical monuments in Islam.
Yavuz Sultan Selim. The listing of historical monuments surrounding the Golden Horn Bay in Istanbul would take a whole page.

Bridges over the Golden Horn Bay

There are five bridges across the Golden Horn (Halich) Bay in Istanbul, which connect the two shores of the European part of Istanbul. The most famous among tourists is the Galata Bridge, less so - the Ataturk Bridge. The last of the bridges erected is the so-called cable-stayed metro bridge, along which the metro line is laid. After a severe fire, the old Galata Bridge was moved to a new location and preserved. The Halic Bridge is a regular transport line. The article published a sufficient number Golden Horn (Halic) in Istanbul in the photo, which give a visual representation of this bay in the Turkish metropolis.

It should be said that there are several geographical locations in the world called the “Golden Horn”. And there are even two bays with that name. One of them is in our country. It is located in the Primorsky Territory and divides the city of Vladivostok into two halves. And then there is Zlatni Rat - a beach on a huge, almost six hundred meters long, sand spit near the town of Bole, located exactly opposite the Makarska Riviera. This Golden Horn is one of the “calling cards” of tourist Croatia. The Belarusian analogue is little known even to residents of this country. After all, Zalaty Rog is a small village in the Khalchansky village council of the Vetkovsky district. But here we will talk about the bay, which is on everyone’s lips. This is Chrysokeras, which means “Golden Horn” in Greek. And also about its Far Eastern namesake.

The wealth of Istanbul

This curved bay in the shape of a deer's antler with numerous branches traces the European part of the Turkish city and divides it into southern and northern halves. Taking a ride on a pleasure boat along the Golden Horn is item No. 1 on the list of “What to do as a tourist in Istanbul.” Since the shores of the bay cut deeply into the historical part of the city, you can take very picturesque photos from board the ship. The Golden Horn Bay on Turkish maps bears the modest name Halic, which simply means “bay”. But don't underestimate the romantic Turkish soul. Haliç is for short. And the full name of the bay is Halich-i-Dersaadet, “Bay of the Gate of Bliss.” No more and no less. After all, on the high bank stands the Sultan’s Topkapi Palace. God knows what kind of bliss the Gurias who lived in the local harem promised its ruler.

Bay formation

The Golden Horn Bay was created by a sudden shift relatively recently - only eight thousand years ago. The shores of the Sea of ​​Marmara were already inhabited by people. As a result of the displacement of plates, the Bosphorus was formed. The salty waves of the Mediterranean Sea poured into the Black Sea. This not only increased the level of the last reservoir, but also caused almost all the fish to die out. After all, the Black Sea for a long time had no connection with the World Ocean and was fresh. There is an opinion that the toxic hydrocarbon layer that has accumulated at the bottom is nothing more than the remains of the corpse decomposition of the former fauna of this water area. But the crack that formed the Bosphorus Strait also deepened into the European part of present-day Istanbul. This is how the bay arose, called Chrysokeras by the Greeks.

What kind of gold is hidden in the “Horn”?

Even the ancient geographer and historian Strabo noted that thanks to the currents, a lot of fish enter the Golden Horn. He writes that in certain seasons it could even be caught with bare hands. However, he designates the bay itself as the “Horn of Byzantium.” In addition to its fame as a fishing spot, the bay has earned itself a reputation as a convenient harbor for the fleet. Even serious storms have little effect on the calm surface of the bay. Therefore, after whom the city was named, he ordered the construction of shipyards here. It is also difficult to overestimate the transport significance of the bay. The shores of Greek Chrysokeras were inhabited by merchants. So that large merchant ships could enter the bay, in the 16th century Hurrem-Sultan, better known to the world as Roksolana, ordered the bottom of the Golden Horn to be deepened. Modern Turks also recognize the importance of this waterway. Therefore, along with the name “Gate of Bliss” you can often hear Altin Boynuz - Golden Horn.

What does the natural harbor look like now?

Previously, settlements of Jewish and Armenian merchants stretched along the shores of the Golden Horn Bay. For some time there was even a colony of the Genoese Republic. But during the time of Constantinople, at the ends of the Golden Horn, in the Greek region of Blachernae, the palaces of the emperor and all the Byzantine nobility were located. During late antiquity, the coastal region was called Galata. It was to the local Christians that one of the Messages was addressed. Now the ship is sailing past ancient mosques, the Galatian Tower, museums and landscaped parks. The length of the bay is more than twelve kilometers, and the width is small - only one hundred meters. This allows you to see all the sights along the banks. They are connected by four bridges: Old and New Galata, Halich and Ataturk.

Golden Horn Bay, Vladivostok: a glimpse of glory

The world-famous Turkish harbor also gave its name to the bay located many thousands of kilometers east of it. Even during the Crimean War, there was a small Chinese village in the Primorsky Territory, whose residents were engaged in the production of seafood, fish and growing vegetables. They themselves called their bay Haishenway, “the bay of the golden sea cucumber.” The British who arrived here renamed the water area Port May, after the name of the ship's captain. In 1852, when the territory became part of the Russian Empire, the bay was named in honor of Peter the Great. But this name didn’t stick either. Seven years later, the Governor General saw in the winding shores of the bay similarities with the Istanbul harbor. That's why he renamed the former Haishenway to the Golden Horn. And on the shores of the bay he founded the military fort of Vladivostok, which later turned into a city.

The Golden Horn in the capital of Turkey is one of the most beautiful natural harbors in the whole world. During the time of the Sultan, merchant ships of the Ottomans and Byzantines, and even warships, were located in these places. Today, pedestrian sidewalks and landscaped parks stretch along the banks. This place is visited by many tourists.

The Golden Horn Harbor is a bay of the Bosphorus, which, thanks to natural disasters and currents, has acquired a curved shape and digs deep into the shore. The length of the bay is about 13 km, and the width is 120 m, the depth of the Bosphorus is 47 m. In the western part of the bay, two rivers flow into it: Kiathanesu, the so-called ancient Barbizes, and Alibeisu, or ancient Kidaros. These waters wash the shores of the European part of the city of Istanbul. There are 4 bridges across the bay: the Old Galata Bridge, but it no longer fulfills its functions, as well as the Galata Bridge and the Halic Bridge and another Ataturk Bridge.

About 7,000 years ago, the local waters of the Bosphorus Bay and the Alibey and Kagythane rivers, which still flow into the Golden Horn, merged into one and formed a natural, very beautiful harbor, which is shaped like a horn. For many centuries, the Golden Horn has been considered one of the world's most beautiful natural harbors. Its waters were full of fish, and the fertile soil along the shores of the bay produced rich harvests, which attracted the local aborigines, who eventually settled on both sides of the harbor. The Golden Horn Bay was also called the cornucopia, and it is also believed that Byzantium himself named this bay in honor of his mother, whose name was Keroessa, from the Greek Golden Horn sounds - Krysokeras. There is another myth that under the bright rays of the shining sun, the water surface of the bay shimmers with real gold.

Golden Horn Bay in Istanbul

Today the Golden Horn is called Halich-i Dersaadet, which means “Bay of the Gate of Bliss” in Turkish.

In summer, during the peak period of tourism in the Golden Horn, the weather is very changeable. The prevailing wind is south and southeast, with frequent rain and fog. Autumn and winter are also windy, but the wind blows from the north and northwest.

In the Balat and Fener districts, located in the very center of the Golden Horn Bay, there are numerous streets with ancient houses and churches, synagogues built during the era of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Now these are the shores inhabited by modern residents living in beautiful and modern buildings. Almost along the entire length of the bay, its shores are fortified with strong walls, which are equipped with berths and piers. The depth at the entrance to the Golden Horn Bay ranges from 20 to 27 meters, depending on the location.

This is an extraordinary beauty, having been at least once in this place, you can feel the period of the Sultanate and the former antiquity, this warm summer air will transport the soul to nirvana. After such a rest, no depression is scary.

Location

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At school, everyone wants to take part in a quiz show like the one on TV. Therefore, first we conduct a qualifying round, and then those who pass it successfully continue the game.
Questions can be on different academic subjects. Here are examples of those questions from the qualifying round and the main game that relate to geography.

1. Arrange these continents in the order of their discovery, starting with the earliest:

Antarctica
Africa
South America
Australia

2. Arrange these planets in order of distance from the Sun, starting with the first:

Mars
Venus
Earth
Mercury

3. Arrange these plants in order of increasing height:

Eucalyptus
Lilac
Poppy
Birch

4. Arrange the vertices by height, starting with the smallest:

Chomolungma
Kosciuszko
Belukha
Aconcagua

Main game

1. Name the third planet of the solar system. (Earth)
2. Name points on Earth, to determine the position of which it is enough to indicate only their latitude. (North and South Poles)
3. Where is it warmer during the day in summer weather - in the forest or in the field? (in field)
4. Name a point on Earth, to determine the position of which it is enough to know only longitude. (there is no such thing)
5. Is it possible to ever see the sun in the north somewhere in Russia? (beyond the Arctic Circle at noon in summer)
6. What is the modern name of Burma? (Myanmar)
7. What is the name of the set of measures to increase land fertility or general improvement of the area? (reclamation)
8. What is the name of the water shell of the Earth? (hydrosphere)
9. When was the Strait of Magellan discovered? (first trip around the world, 1519-1521)
10. What is the destruction of soil horizons and parent rocks by surface water called? (soil erosion)
11. What is the name of the device for measuring atmospheric pressure? (barometer)
12. Which US state does the Arctic Circle pass through? (Alaska)
13. Which continent do all meridians cross? (Antarctica)
14. The spread of what type of transport led to the introduction of standard time? (railway)
15. What is the top fertile layer of the earth called? (the soil)
16. Many bays, straits and islands have made the coast of this country the longest in the world. (Canada)
17. Is it true that the entire landmass of the Earth could be located in an area equal to the area of ​​the Pacific Ocean? (Yes)
18. You are flying from Rome to Belgrade. What sea can you see from the porthole? (Adriatic)
19. What is the name in South America for what is called steppe in Russia and prairie in North America? (pump)
20. Which city is called the “city of the Golden Horn” and in which state is it located? (Istanbul, Türkiye)
21. Which city is called “granite” and in which country is it located? (Aberdeen, Scotland)
22. Which city is called the “lily city” and in which country is it located?

Istanbul Map

(Paris, France)
23. In what place do southern winds always blow? (at the North Pole)
24. Where is it colder - at the North or South Pole? (on Yuzhny)
25. Which sea has no shores? (Sargasso)
26. What is the name of the air shell of the Earth? (atmosphere)
27. Name the largest river that does not flow into the World Ocean. (Volga)
28. Which states are located in two parts of the world? (RF, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia)
29. Name four seas that have colored names. (Black, White, Red, Yellow)
30. Name the largest and deepest sea off the coast of Russia. (Beringovo)
31. Name the shallowest sea on Earth. (Azovskoe)
32. Name the coldest and most icy sea off the coast of Russia. (East Siberian)
33. Name the largest peninsula in Russia. (Taimyr)
34. Name the largest island in Russia. (Sakhalin)
35. Name the longest mountain system in Russia. (Ural)
36. Name the highest peak in Russia. (Elbrus)
37. Name the deepest lake in the world. (Baikal)
38. Name the longest river that flows only through the territory of Russia. (Lena)

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- the only metropolis located along the banks of the strait Bosphorus on two continents at the same time, and the natural harbor is a bay Golden Horn in turn, divides the European part into the “old” and “new” city. At all times, people have appreciated the beauty of these places, where coastal palaces, summer residences and villas began to be built back in the Byzantine period. The Ottomans also built more than just fortresses here. So, after the conquest, the Turkish sultans built new palaces, mansions, pavilions and chalets along the banks. Still decorating the shores Bosphorus elegant villas remain - . Today Bosphorus together with Golden Horn wash the shores of the following districts: , (historical district) and.

Bosphorus

Bosphorus(Greek: Bosporus, or Bosphorus), also known as the Istanbul Strait (İstanbul Boğazı) or the inner strait (Boğaziçi), represents the natural water boundary between the European and Asian parts of Turkey. The name of this strait is connected with Greek mythology: Zeus fell in love with the priestess of Hera, the daughter of King Inachus Io. The legitimate wife of the loving god immediately turned Io into a cow and sent a terrible hornet to kill her. In vain Io fled from him, hiding in the waters Bosphorus, which got its name from this - “cow ford” (Greek, βους - cow, πόρος - ford). However, this myth is most likely about Bosphorus Cimmerian - Kerch Strait.

One of the existing theories says that Bosphorus formed around 5600 BC. At the end of the last ice age, as a result of the melting of large masses of ice and snow, the water level rose sharply. 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 still a freshwater lake. Recent archaeological research has discovered submerged cities on the underwater slopes of the Black Sea coast of Turkey. Perhaps it is education Bosphorus gave rise to the myth of the Flood and (located relatively nearby, in Eastern Anatolia). Surface flow in Bosphorus directed from the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea, and the bottom (from saltier water) - in the opposite direction.

Bosphorus- the most important transport artery for sea transportation of oil. The passage of ships is regulated by a special agreement adopted at an international conference in Montreux (Switzerland, 1936), which gives the right to duty-free passage, both in peacetime and in wartime, for any merchant ships of any countries. Besides, Bosphorus- a busy transport route providing passenger and freight transportation in the metropolis. The length of the strait is approximately 30 km. The widest place in the middle reaches Bosphorus- in the area (3.5 km), and the narrowest - between and (approx. 700 m). The depth of the strait, with an average value of 60 m, reaches 110 m near the cape, where the current speed is very high - more than 12 km/h.

Golden Horn

About 7 thousand years ago, the waters of the Alibey and Kagythane rivers, which still flow into the northern part Golden Horn, merged with the waters Bosphorus and formed a natural harbor. For centuries Golden Horn(Altın Boynuz) was reputed to be one of the best natural harbors in the world. For a long time it remained a base for military and merchant fleets, first of the Byzantine and then of the Ottoman Empire. The waters of this bay, truly shaped like a horn, abounded in fish, and the fertile land along the banks yielded rich harvests. The bay was often compared to a cornucopia, and it is believed that Byzant himself named the bay - in honor of his mother - Keroessa, because in Greek Golden Horn— Chrisokeras (Χρυσοκέρας). True, there is another beautiful legend that says that the waters of the bay sparkle with real gold under the rays of the sun. Modern Turkish name Golden Horn– Haliç (haliç - bay), which comes from the Ottoman Haliç-i Dersaadet - bay of the gates of bliss. Let us remember that Desaadet is one of many. In the upper reaches Golden Horn there are two small islands, which the Byzantines called Kosmidion (Greek Κοσμιδίων), and the Ottomans called Bahariye. The length of the bay is about 12 km, with an average width of 100 m and depth of 47 m.

With the arrival of the Turks the shores Golden Horn became a popular holiday destination, where summer residences and rich mansions were built. However, over time, numerous factories and workshops began to appear here. Uncontrolled industrial development has led to severe environmental pollution. Golden Horn turned into a real cesspool filled with urban sewage and industrial waste. Only in the 1980s. The municipality decided to return this ancient area of ​​the city to its former beauty. Today on the shores Golden Horn Cozy green parks have once again spread out, its coastal neighborhoods have wooden houses of the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, churches and synagogues on their streets, and the sunset once again goldens the waters of this charming bay.