Besides his literary criticism, theoretical writings, guidebooks and years of teaching English literature in the universities, Murat Belge has been leading tours through every quarter of Istanbul for almost 25 years. His is the first name that pops into mind when the history of the Bosphorus is mentioned.
A Bosphorus tour with Murat Belge, who has spent years living in its unsurpassed waterside mansions soaking up its way of life and culture, means a journey through mythology and Ottoman history right up to the early years of the Turkish Republic.
On the tour, which lasts four hours not counting an hour and a half break, Belge tells an authentic Bosphorus tale through the history of its mosques, palaces, waterfront mansions and groves, not to mention its sultans and padishahs, its envoys, governors, shopkeepers, lowlifes, and just plain ordinary folk.
SWIMMERS IN THE BOSPHORUS BEWARE!
The many legends surrounding the Bosphorus are an indication of how important this geographical region has been over the centuries.