Üsküdar Ferry Terminal

Üsküdar Pier was first opened in 1853 by an Ottoman ferry company, Şirket-i Hayriye as the companies first ferry pier on the Bosporus strait.[2] The first pier was located slightly inland, near the Fountain of Ahmed III. The first ferry service from Üsküdar operated to Kabataş, on the European shore of the Bosporus.[3] As Üsküdar grew in the late 19th century, ferry service also increased and the existing pier was not large enough to handle the capacity. In 1905, Şirket-i Hayriye began operating ferry service from Beşiktaş to Haydarpaşa station, via Üsküdar. Passengers used this route to connect to railway service east into Anatolia. In 1906, the first pier was demolished and replaced by a larger pier. The inside of the pier consisted of decorative tiles, with ticket counters and bird cages.[2]

Şirket-i Hayriye was bought by the state-owned Şehir Hatları municipal ferry company in 1945.[4] In the 1950s, the popularity of ferries grew along with passenger ridership. To increase capacity, a larger terminal was built in 1965 and remains in operation to this day.[5]

Üsküdar is a main pier for the municipal ferry service. Şehir Hatları operates ferries to 20 other piers on the Bosporus and Golden Horn, while Dentur operates to two other piers. Among these destinations are Beşiktaş, Kabataş, Eminönü, Karaköy and Kadıköy. Ferries leave Üsküdar at an average of 10 minute intervals, making it one of the busiest ferry terminals in Turkey.