While the Bosphorus ferry was very busy, it was still possible to get some great pictures of the many beautiful buildings and sights on both the European and Asian shores. These photos are in time sequence, as we moved up the Bosphorus from Eminönü to our final stop in Yeniköy.
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| A look at Topkapi Palace from the waters of the Bosphorus. The tower on the right is the Divan Tower. | Docked at the Beyoglu area of Istanbul is a four-masted sailing cruise ship. | |
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| The ship's plaque of the ferry boat Mustafa Aydogdu. | The Dolmabahce Palace, which we would explore later in the day. | |
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| A distant look at the Bosphorus Bridge. The ferry would go under the bridge, and we would cross over it in the afternoon. | The Ciragam Palace Hotel, one of the world's most expensive hotels. | |
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| The three buildings of the Istanbul University. | Right beside the Bosphorus Bridge is the Mecidiye Mosque. | |
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| Closing in on the European end of the Bosphorus Bridge. | A classic Istanbul juxtaposition - modern office towers in the "new" part of Istanbul in the distance, the Mecidiye Mosque (built in 1855) in the foreground. | |
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| Right under the Bosphorus Bridge, built in 1973, on the 50th anniversary of the Turkish state. | Looking at the Asian side of the Bosphorus Bridge. | |
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| Beside the Bosphorus Bridge on the Asian side is the Beylerbeyi Palace. | The Kuleli Military School, also on the Asian side. | |
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| A couple of fisherman on the Bosphorus in teeny little boats. The water of the Bosphorus is very calm. | The Kucuksu Palace on the Asian side. | |
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| The Rumeli Hisari - the Fortress of the Europe, built in 1452. We would explore this fortress after we got off the ferry. | The Anadolu Hisari - the Fortress of Asia, built 50 years before the Fortress of Europe. |
The ferry trip continued a short way beyond the fortresses, which are the narrowest point of the Bosphorus, only 660 metres apart. Compare this to the broadest point of the Bosphorus, down near Istanbul of nearly three kilometers.