Ferries in Istanbul

Founded in 1851 as the Şirket-i Hayriye (“The Goodwill Company”),[2] Şehir Hatları operates the city's iconic white and orange ferries (vapurs).

[6] Another smaller private ferry company, Turyol, provides frequent services on routes from Eminönü, Kabataş, Beyoğlu and Karaköy to piers at Üsküdar, Haydarpaşa and Kadıköy, among others.

They continue to serve as a key public transport link for many thousands of commuters, tourists and vehicles every day.

In 1937, Şehir Hatları was nationilized and came under the control of the state-owned Türkiye Denizcilik İşletmeleri (TDİ) (“Turkish Maritime Lines ”).

The TDİ was largely privatized in the late 90s and early 2000s and ownership of the Şehir Hatları was transferred to the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality in March 2006.