August 2020
[from FB post: March 6, 2014]
As far as I know, Russia is now defending two seaports which seem to be somewhat irrelevant in the modern world. Unless, the Black Sea Fleet anticipates a war in the countries on the Black Sea, their "fleet" is bottled up there. Why? Because the Bosphorus is SO treacherous that without a tugboat to guide them through, a ship could never make it. And of course, Turkey, is a NATO member.... then we have the port in Syria that they don't want to lose. Granted, the Mediterranean is bigger, but the only exits are the Suez Canal and Gibraltar -- another bottled up fleet. So one has to ask, WHY? National Pride?
The Bosphorus defines Istanbul. That narrow strait that divides Europe and Asia (except when Turkey is included in Europe) is an historically important, hotly contested, and commercially valuable waterway. When Turkey was created out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks were forced to sign a treaty allowing all ships to pass through the Bosphorus unhindered. In the days of small, wooden sailing ships the Bosphorus was easy to navigate, but as ships grew larger with deeper drafts, the strait became treacherous. In fact, any large ship must be escorted by a Turkish boat, just to be sure it does not run aground. No wonder so many people are concerned about Turkey politically since it is the choke point for energy and food originating in now volatile Russia and Ukraine (not to mention anything from Romania, Bulgaria, and Georgia).
On my first trip to Istanbul Brian and I actually didn't spend much time focused on the Bosphorus although we did enjoy some lovely views over it from Topkapı Palace. The photo above is from my second visit to Istanbul and my flight from Iraq during the COVID pandemic. Colleague SP and I found a cute little hotel behind Aya Sophia and the rooftop restaurant served breakfast with views over the Bosphorus. There was no better way to start the day in Istanbul than with a cup of coffee overlooking that strait (which was pretty dead during the pandemic).
On one of my walks in the city while I waited to get a ticket back to the USA, I walked down from the hotel, through the old Roman ramparts and along the Bosphorus edge. I marveled at the history - behind the old Roman wall was Topkapı Palace, the seat of power of Rome and then the Ottomans for over a thousand years combined. The railway tracks in front of the wall were those taken by the Orient Express. The sea in front of me was the scene of many battles over this ancient city. Across the water was Asia. I followed the Bosphorus to the Galata Bridge. It was a beautiful path even if shared it with a busy roadway (Kennedy Avenue). I regretted that Brian and I had not focused more on the sea of Istanbul on our first visit as it was beautiful and calming.
If life takes me back to Istanbul, I think a boat ride on the Bosphorus should be high on my list.