Bosphorus
The strait that joins the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and divides Istanbul between Europe and Asia. It is the world's narrowest strait used for international navigation, and ferries cross it past palaces, fortresses and waterside mansions.
- Where
- Istanbul, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Grade
- Well known
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 1 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 41.1200, 29.0800
Get the Bosphorus stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Bosphorus. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Istanbul volume with your photos and a note.
Near Bosphorus
Sakıp Sabancı Museum 3.2 km
A private fine arts museum in a hillside mansion at Emirgan above the Bosphorus, opened in 2002 and run by Sabancı University. It holds Ottoman calligraphy, documents and paintings, and stages large temporary exhibitions.
Rumeli Hisarı 4.4 km
An Ottoman fortress climbing the hills of the European shore of the Bosphorus, built by Mehmed II in 1452 ahead of the conquest of Constantinople. Its towers and walls command the narrowest point of the strait.
Ortaköy Mosque 9.2 km
A small Baroque-style mosque on the waterside pier square at Ortaköy, completed around 1854 or 1856 for Sultan Abdülmecid I. Seen against the Bosphorus Bridge behind it, it makes one of the most photographed views in the city.
Beylerbeyi Palace 9.2 km
A summer palace on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, built for Sultan Abdulaziz between 1861 and 1865 and used to host foreign dignitaries. Neo-Baroque outside and Ottoman in its decoration within, it is now a museum.
Grand Çamlıca Mosque 9.6 km
Opened in 2019 on Çamlıca Hill in Üsküdar, with room for up to 63,000 worshippers, it is the largest mosque in Turkey. Its domes and minarets are visible from much of the city, and the complex also holds an art gallery and a library.
Dolmabahçe Palace 11 km
A 19th-century imperial palace stretched along the European shore of the Bosphorus, the main seat of Ottoman government from 1853 to 1887 and again from 1909 to 1922. Its interiors are heavy with gilding and crystal, and Atatürk died here in 1938.
Taksim Square 12 km
The heart of modern Istanbul, at the top of İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu, with the central station of the metro beneath it. At its centre stands the Republic Monument by Pietro Canonica, unveiled in 1928.
Maiden's Tower 13 km
A tower on a tiny islet at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus, about 200 metres off the shore of Üsküdar. Known since Byzantine times as Leander's Tower, it has served as a lighthouse and is reached by small boat.
More famous places to visit in Istanbul
Questions
Where is Bosphorus?
Bosphorus is in Istanbul, Istanbul, Türkiye. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Sakıp Sabancı Museum (3.2 km), Rumeli Hisarı (4.4 km), Ortaköy Mosque (9.2 km).
How do I get the Bosphorus stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Bosphorus and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Istanbul volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Bosphorus before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Istanbul volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.