[6][7][8] The Bosphorus Bridge is famous for its important transport routes, connecting parts of Europe to Turkey.

The Greek writer Herodotus says in his Histories that, on the orders of Emperor Darius the Great of the Achaemenid Empire (522 BC–485 BC), Mandrocles of Samos once engineered a pontoon bridge across the Bosphorus, linking Asia to Europe; this bridge enabled Darius to pursue the fleeing Scythians as well as position his army in the Balkans to overwhelm Macedon.

For the structural engineering work, a contract was signed with the British firm Freeman Fox & Partners in 1968.

[11] Construction started in February 1970 and ceremonies were attended by President Cevdet Sunay and Prime Minister Süleyman Demirel.

[12] The bridge was completed on 30 October 1973, one day after the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, and opened by President Fahri Korutürk and Prime Minister Naim Talu.

Between 1999 and 2006, some of the toll booths (#9 - #13), which were located to the far left as motorists approached them, were unmanned and equipped only with a remote payment system (Turkish: OGS).

An OGS device or KGS card could be obtained at various stations before reaching the toll plazas of highways and bridges.

Since April 2007, a computerised LED lighting system of changing colours and patterns, developed by Philips, illuminates the bridge at night.

[14] The HGS system requires a batteryless front window sticker with a passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip, whereas the older OGS system required a small RFID device with a battery that was sticked to the front window.

[17] Since 1979, every October, the annual Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon crosses the bridge on its way from Asia to Europe.

[20][22] While crossing the bridge with his Formula 1 car, Coulthard was picked up by the automatic surveillance system and charged with a fine of 20 Euros because he passed through the toll booths without payment.

[23][24] On 15 July 2016, the bridge was blocked by a rogue faction of the Turkish Armed Forces during a coup attempt.

[26] In honor of the victims who were martyred while resisting the coup attempt, a monument, museum and mosque were built on a roadside hill near the Asian (Anatolian) end of the bridge.