Atatürk Bridge
| Atatürk Bridge Atatürk Köprüsü |
|
|---|---|
 Atatürk Bridge as seen from the Galata Tower |
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| Official name | Atatürk Köprüsü |
| Other name(s) | Ataturk Bridge Unkapanı Bridge |
| Crosses | Golden Horn |
| Locale | Unkapanı–Azapkapı, Istanbul, Turkey |
| Owner | Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul |
| Total length | 477 m (1,565 ft) |
| Width | 25 m (82 ft) |
| Construction begin | 1936 |
| Construction end | 1940 |
| Replaces | Third bridge (1912-1936) Second bridge (1875-1912) First bridge (1836-1875) |
Atatürk Bridge, alternatively known as the Unkapanı Bridge, is a highway bridge on the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey. It is named after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey.
It was originally completed in 1836 with the name Hayratiye Bridge, which connected the quarters of Unkapanı and Azapkapı. The construction of the Hayratiye Bridge was ordered by the Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II and supervised by Ahmed Fevzi Pasha, the Deputy Admiral of the Ottoman Fleet, at the Imperial Naval Arsenal (Tersane-i Amire) on the Golden Horn. The opening was personally made by Sultan Mahmud II in 1836, who crossed the bridge on his horse. This original bridge was circa 400 meters long and 10 meters wide, and was built as a bascule bridge for allowing large ships to pass.
In 1875 it was replaced by a second bridge, made of iron and constructed by a French company at the price of 135,000 Ottoman gold liras. It was 480 meters long and 18 meters wide, and remained in service between 1875 and 1912, when it was demolished due to reaching the end of its service life.
In 1912, the nearby Third Galata Bridge was disassembled in pieces and was re-erected at the site of the demolished Hayratiye Bridge, becoming the third bridge on this site. This bridge was used until 1936, when it was damaged by a storm.
The current (fourth) bridge on this site was constructed between 1936 and 1940, and entered service in 1940 with the name Atatürk Bridge. It has a length of 477 meters and a width of 25 meters.
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