If you asked me what the symbols of İstanbul could be, I would definitely say that the ‘vapur’s on the Bosphorus would definitely be one of them. ‘Vapur’s are the nostalgic boats that transport İstanbulites from one side of the city to the other across the Bosphorus. Vapur in fact comes from a French word bateau à vapeur referring to steam boats. These ‘vapur’s almost always had a special character that were identified with the city up until recent years when they started to lose their characters.
One specific ‘vapur’ was the symbol of the Bosphorus and that is Paşabahçe which had been running on the Bosphorus until 1952. It was the oldest, biggest and the fastest of all boats in İstanbul’s Maritime Lines but had fallen into dire conditions throughout the years. Locals were afraid that authorities could decide to destroy it forever after it stopped running due to its poor condition.
This was the poor condition of this nostalgic boat loved by İstanbulites.
Local authorities gave a wise decision to restore the Paşabahçe boat to its ancient glory after it stopped running for almost 10 years . The restoration took one and a half years and the boat started running in 2022. The first time it set sail, passengers applauded its homecoming.
Passengers applauding the rebirth of Paşabahçe Boat
There was an iconic Artemis relief in the boat which was also beautifully restored.
Now Paşabahçe is taking its ‘guests’ to the beautiful Princess Islands! So if you ever get a chance to ‘meet’ Paşabahçe on your way to the Princess Islands, make sure to pay respect to the oldest running boat in İstanbul.
Have a glance at Paşabahçe!
