Bosporus facts for kids

The Bosporus or Bosphorus is a strait that forms part of the boundary between the European part of Turkey and its Asian part (Anatolia). It connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. It is about 30 km long, with a maximum width of 3,700 metres at the northern entrance, and a minimum width of 700 metres between Kandilli and Aşiyan; and 750 metres between Anadoluhisarı and Rumelihisarı. The depth varies from 36 to 124 metres in midstream.
The shores of the strait are heavily populated as Istanbul is nearby. Several bridges and tunnels cross the strait.
Images for kids
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Map of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), designed in 1422 by Florentine cartographer Cristoforo Buondelmonti. This is the oldest surviving map of the city, and the only surviving map which predates the Turkish conquest of 1453. The Bosporus is visible along the right hand side of the map, wrapping vertically around the historic city.
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View of the entrance to the Bosphorus from the Sea of Marmara, as seen from the Topkapı Palace.
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Panoramic view of the Bosphorus as seen from Ulus on the European side, with the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (1988) at left and the Bosphorus Bridge (1973) at right.
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Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (1988) and the Bosphorus strait.
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Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus.
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View of the Bosphorus from the Marmara Hotel, Taksim Square.
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The Rumelian Castle on the Bosphorus, with both suspension bridges which span the strait.
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Ottoman era waterfront houses on the Bosphorus.
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Ottoman era waterfront houses (yalı) on the Bosphorus.
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Ottoman era waterfront houses (yalı) on the Bosphorus.
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Ottoman era waterfront houses (yalı) on the Bosphorus.
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A view of the Bosporus strait, with the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge visible in the background.
