Bosporus facts for kids

Satellite image of the Bosporus, taken from the International Space Station in April 2004

View of the Bosporus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge as seen from Rumelihisarı

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.

Coordinates: 41°07′10″N, 29°04′31″E

Images for kids

Aerial view of the Bosporus taken from its northern end near the Black Sea (bottom), looking south (top) toward the Marmara Sea, with the city center of Istanbul visible along the strait's hilly banks.

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.

The Bosphorus, with the Castles of Europe & Asia. 19th-century engraving by Thomas Allom. The castles are Rumelihisarı and Anadoluhisarı, respectively. The original is a watercolor available in the online collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Bosphorus Bridge, the first to be built across the Bosphorus, completed in 1973
Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, the third and most recent crossing, in September 2016. The bridge was opened on 26 August 2016.
View of the European side of Istanbul from the southern entrance to the Bosphorus.
View of the European side of Istanbul from the Bosphorus.
View of the entrance to the Bosphorus from the Sea of Marmara, as seen from the Topkapı Palace.
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.
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (1988) and the Bosphorus strait.
Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus.
View from Topkapi Palace on the Bosphorus.
View of the Bosphorus from the Marmara Hotel, Taksim Square.
The Rumelian Castle on the Bosphorus, with both suspension bridges which span the strait.
620 historic waterfront houses stretch along the coasts of the Bosphorus, such as the yalı of Ahmet Rasim Pasha.
Yalı of Hacı Şefik Bey on the Bosphorus.
Ottoman era waterfront houses on the Bosphorus.
Afif Pasha Mansion on the Bosphorus was designed by Alexander Vallaury.
The quarters of Bebek, Arnavutköy and Yeniköy on the Bosphorus are famous for their fish restaurants.
Ottoman era waterfront houses (yalı) on the Bosphorus.
Ottoman era waterfront houses (yalı) on the Bosphorus.
Ottoman era waterfront houses (yalı) on the Bosphorus.
A view of the Bosporus strait, with the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge visible in the background.
Skyline of Levent as seen from the Khedive Palace gardens on the Asian coast of the Bosporus. Istanbul Sapphire is the first skyscraper at right.