NEW YORK, NY (October 1, 2021) – 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.
“It is a momentous occasion as our Galataport Istanbul Cruise Port begins operation to welcome our first cruise passengers,” said Figen Ayan, Galataport Istanbul Chief Port Officer. “We have dedicated ourselves to creating a welcoming, safe and remarkable visitor experience for all passengers in our world-class cruise facilities and to providing a wealth of lifestyle experiences for our guests to enjoy while staying in port. Characterized as a ‘main port,’ Galataport Istanbul will vitalize cruise ship tourism over a large area from the Mediterranean basin to the Black Sea.”
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.
“For several years our past guests have voiced their interest for SeaDream to return to Turkey,” said Emilio R. Freeman, Vice President, Itineraries & Destinations at SeaDream Yacht Club “As a result, our entire SeaDream team has been working for many months on arrival to Istanbul, one of the most popular ports of call in the Mediterranean. While it has been a very trying year for the restart of cruising, we give thanks to the partnership we have with Galataport Istanbul and, especially Figen Ayan who has greatly helped make this occasion a reality. We are thrilled to bring our cruise guests to this amazing cruise and lifestyle facility.”
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.
About Galataport Istanbul
Covering 1.2 km of coastline on Bosphorus, Galataport Istanbul is one of the world’s most prominent projects with an investment cost of $1.7 billion. Galataport Istanbul brings together several functions in a single project, which makes it unique not only in Turkey but also worldwide. The project hosts the world’s first underground cruise ship terminal with a unique hatch system, connected to an underground terminal, both of which have already received great global praise. Thanks to this innovation, Karakoy’s unique coastline will be open to public access after 200 years and become one of the most special promenades of Istanbul. Galataport Istanbul welcomes residents and visitors of Istanbul as an iconic intersection of the old and the new. Accessible and low-rise buildings, neighborhood concept in harmony with the historical texture of the area, and alternative means of transport among other amenities of the project offer its guests a breath of fresh air in a healthy and safe spot for art and culture, shopping, gastronomy and working. Heritage buildings within the project site have been restored to embellish the city once again. The oldest building on the pier, the Paket Postanesi (The Post Office Fashion Galleria) will be a landmark of the project with its characteristic slated roofs and exterior facades. Three heritage buildings, namely the Merkez Han, Karakoy Passenger Terminal and Çinili Han are also undergoing restorations to serve as the location of the Peninsula Istanbul hotel. Part of the Peninsula Hotels brand, which has investments in 10 prestigious locations across the globe, the 177-room Peninsula Istanbul will be situated right across the city’s historical peninsula. Galataport Istanbul houses the finest works of art in Turkey with the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art and Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture, both of which are located inside its premises. Also undergoing landscaping work under the project, the historical Tophane Square will be the first museum square of Istanbul. The Tophane Clock Tower located in the center of this square, which dates back to 1848, is renovated with a special technique that involves lifting the tower. Galataport Istanbul is expected to receive 25 million visitors including 7 million foreign guests and also draw about 1.5 million cruise ship passengers and crew to Istanbul.
Visit https://galataport.com/en and follow along on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube at @galataportistanbul.