Galataport Istanbul, a new cruise port and social, cultural and lifestyle destination on the Bosphorus, welcomed its first ship, SeaDream II, on Friday, October 1st.
Approximately 150 passengers and crew from Bulgaria Varna, a seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, arrived at 10:00 am local time on October 1st for a two-day homeport operation before sailing to Bulgaria Burgaz.
Home to state-of-the-art cruise facilities including the world’s first underground cruise ship terminal, Galataport Istanbul is capable of accommodating three ships and 15,000 passengers a day, including oasis class cruise ships with 8,000 passengers including crew, and features a 29,000 sqm Galataport Istanbul Cruise Ship Terminal designed with a unique hatch system that creates a temporary customs area while a ship is in port. The hatch system converts Istanbul’s port into a promenade in an area that has been closed to public access for 200 years. After the ship departs, the coastline is left free.
The $1.7 billion Galataport project, set on a three-quarter mile stretch of coastline on the Bosporus, is designed to revive and redefine Istanbul’s historic port as an exciting lifestyle destination and is projected to welcome 25 million visitors per year. Galataport Istanbul will serve as an exciting lifestyle destination offering, arts and culture, gastronomy and shopping, as well as visitor and resident attractions and amenities including a Renzo Piano-designed new museum building of Istanbul Modern, the first contemporary and modern arts museum of Turkey founded in 2004, as well as Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture. Located in between these two museums, Tophane Square, with a specially restored Tophane Clock Tower dating back to 1848 as its centerpiece, will be the first museum square of Istanbul. Additional historical buildings are undergoing restorations that will preserve the heritage and authenticity of the region and in 2022, a 177-room The Peninsula Istanbul hotel will welcome guests.
For more information, visit https://galataport.com/en.
