A History of the Bridges of Galata

Evren, Burçak. Galata Köprüleri Tarihi. İstanbul: Milliyet Yayınları, 1994,
184pp.

ABSTRACT

A History of the Bridges of Galata

Galata Köprüleri Tarihi

The book begins
with the narration of an ancient Greek myth on the Golden Horn (Haliç) and goes
on to inform us about all the bridges that have been constructed, demolished,
rebuilt and repaired in the history of the Golden Horn.

The author
emphasises the fact that the Golden Horn has been a reliable port since
antiquity, becoming one of the most important trading centres in the
Mediterranean and the Near East. He mentions the impressive religious
structures built on the hillsides of the Golden Horn during the Eastern Roman
and the Ottoman Empire. Starting with the short-lived Eastern Roman military
bridges, the author talks about the construction stages of the bridges of
Unkapanı and Galata, describing the various instances and the circumstances
under which they were rebuilt.

It is also
mentioned that both Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo contacted the Ottoman
authorities with a view to building bridges over the Golden Horn; however, none
of these plans came to fruition.

While talking
about the construction history of the Galata Bridges, the author uses quotes
from Tarih-i Lütfü, one of the
Ottoman annals. There are also quotes on bridges from other authors who are
known for their writings on Istanbul. The author refers to some discussions
that took place in the Turkish press in the 1930s on the construction of
bridges. The text of the book is an easy read, and offers rich visual material
and information on all the bridges ever built on the Golden Horn since the
times of the Eastern Roman Empire.

Feryal
Tansuğ

Translated
by Aysu Dinçer