Golden Horn
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{{for|the book ''The Golden Horn'' by [[Judith Tarr]]|The Hound and the Falcon}}
{{for|the gulf in [[Vladivostok]]|Zolotoy Rog Bay}}
[[Image:Golden Horn and Sultanahmet.jpg|thumb|[[Seraglio Point]] (Sarayburnu) on the Golden Horn, as seen from the [[Galata Tower]]]]
[[Image:View of the Seraglio Point from Pera.jpg|thumb|[[Seraglio Point]] from [[Beyoğlu|Pera]], with the [[Bosphorus]] at left, the entrance of the Golden Horn at right, and the [[Sea of Marmara]] with the [[Princes' Islands]] on the horizon]]
[[Image:Boats on the Golden Horn.jpg|thumb|Boats on the Golden Horn]]
The '''Golden Horn''' ([[Turkish language|Turkish]]: '''Haliç''' or '''Altın Boynuz''', [[Greek language|Greek]]: '''Χρυσόν Κέρας''' – Chrysón Kéras) is an inlet of the [[Bosphorus]] dividing the city of [[Istanbul]] and forming a natural harbor.
==History==
[[Image:Byzantine Constantinople.png|thumb|left|Map of Byzantine Constantinople, showing the Golden Horn north of the city's main peninsula]]
According to Greek legend, the Golden Horn derives its name from Keroessa, the mother of Byzas the Megarian, who named it after her. It forms a deep natural harbor for the pensinsula it encloses together with the [[Sea of Marmara]]. The [[Byzantine Empire]] had its naval headquarters there, and walls were built along the shoreline to protect the city of [[Constantinople]] from naval attacks. At the entrance to the Horn, there was a large chain pulled across from Constantinople to the [[Galata Tower (old)|old Tower of Galata]] (which was known as the ''Megalos Pyrgos'' (Great Tower) among the Byzantines) on the northern side, preventing unwanted ships from entering. This tower was largely destroyed by the Latin Crusaders during the [[Fourth Crusade]] (1204), but the [[Republic of Genoa|Geneose]] built a new tower nearby, the famous [[Galata Tower]] (1348) which they called ''Christea Turris'' (Tower of Christ).
There were three notable times when the chain across the Horn was either broken or circumvented. In the 10th century the [[Kievan Rus']] dragged their longships out of the [[Bosporus]], around [[Galata]], and relaunched them in the Horn; the Byzantines defeated them with [[Greek fire]]. In 1204, during the [[Fourth Crusade]], [[Venice|Venetian]] ships were able to break the chain with a [[ramming|ram]]. In 1453, [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] Sultan [[Mehmed II]], having failed in his attempt to break the chain with brute force, instead used the same tactic as the [[Rus' (people)|Rus']], towing his ships across Galata into the estuary over [[lubrication|greased]] logs.
After the [[Fall of Constantinople|Capture of Constantinople]] in 1453 by [[Mehmed II|Mehmed the Conqueror]], Greek citizens, the [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Greek Orthodox]] Church, [[Jew]]s, [[Italy|Italian]] merchants, and other non-Muslims began to live along the Horn in the Phanar ([[Fener]]) and Balat districts. Today the Golden Horn is settled on both sides, and there are parks along each shore. The Istanbul Chamber of Commerce is also located along the shore, as are [[Muslim]], [[Jewish]] and [[Christian]] cemeteries. The [[Galata Bridge]] connects the districts of [[Galata]] and [[Eminönü]]. Two other bridges, the [[Atatürk Bridge]] and the [[Haliç Bridge]], are located further up the Horn. Until the 1980s the Horn was inquinated with industrial waste, but has since been cleaned up and is a popular tourist attraction in Istanbul because of its history and beauty.
{{wide image|Golden Horn Panorama Istanbul.jpg|1000px|Panoramic view of the Golden Horn in Istanbul, as seen from the [[Galata Tower]]. The [[Galata Bridge]] can be seen in the center of the picture. The [[Seraglio Point]] (Sarayburnu) where the [[Topkapı Palace]] is located is seen at the left tip of the historic peninsula; followed by (left to right) the [[Hagia Sophia]], the [[Sultan Ahmed Mosque|Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque]], the [[Yeni Mosque|Yeni (New) Mosque]] near the Galata Bridge, the [[Beyazıt Tower]] rising high in the background, and the [[Süleymaniye Mosque|Süleymaniye (Suleiman the Magnificent) Mosque]] at far right, among others. The [[Sea of Marmara]] and the [[Princes' Islands]] are seen in the background, on the horizon. At the extreme left of the picture, the district of [[Kadıköy]] (ancient [[Chalcedon]]) on the Asian side of the city can be seen. Behind the Galata Bridge, towards the horizon, the [[Column of Constantine]] (which was surrounded by iron bars for restoration at the time of this photo) rises.}}
==Geology==
The Golden Horn is a flooded prehistoric [[estuary]].
==Leonardo's bridge==
[[Image:Leonardo da Vinci Galata Bridge 1502.jpg|thumb|left|Golden Horn Bridge designed by [[Leonardo da Vinci]] in 1502]]
[[Image:A scene of daily life on the Golden Horn.jpg|thumb|Daily life near the [[Galata_Bridge#Hayratiye|Hayratiye Bridge]] on the Golden Horn]]
[[Image:Istanbul - Süleymaniye camii dal Corno d'oro - Foto G. Dall'Orto 28-5-2006.jpg|thumb|View of the [[Süleymaniye Mosque]] from [[Karaköy]] across the Golden Horn]]
In 1502 [[Leonardo da Vinci]] produced a drawing of a single span 720-foot (240 m) bridge over the Horn as part of a civil engineering project for Sultan [[Bayezid II]]. The vision was resurrected in 2001 when a [[Vebjørn Sand Da Vinci Project|small footbridge of Leonardo's design was constructed]] near Aas in [[Norway]].
On May 17, 2006, it was announced that the [[prime minister]] of Turkey [[Recep Tayyip Erdoğan]] and the [[mayor]] of Istanbul [[Kadir Topbaş]] had decided to resurrect the Leonardo da Vinci Bridge project. The urban planning and feasibility studies of the project had started earlier, in 1999. After five centuries, Leonardo da Vinci's bridge will span the Golden Horn, becoming the first architectural project of the [[Renaissance]] genius to be realized in its original scale and its planned location.
The Turkish architect in charge of the construction is [[Bülent Güngör]], known for the restoration of the [[Çırağan Palace]], the [[Yıldız Palace]], and the [[Sümela Monastery]]. The Bridge will be an exact copy of da Vinci's design, with a single span of 720-foot (240 m), a width of 8 metres, and a height above the Golden Horn of 24 metres, as shown on his sketches.
==Literature==
The Golden Horn features in many works of literature dealing with classical themes. For example, [[G. K. Chesterton]]'s poem ''Lepanto'' contains the memorable couplet "From evening isles fantastical rings faint the Spanish gun, And the Lord upon the Golden Horn is laughing in the sun".
==Activity==
The Golden Horn hosted the 4th round of the [[Red Bull Air Race World Series]] for the first time on [[July 29]], [[2006]].
==See also==
* [[Galata Bridge]]
==External links==
{{commonscat}}
* [http://www.halic.edu.tr Golden Horn University]
* [http://www.halicli.com The Social Community of Golden Horn ]
* [http://www.vebjorn-sand.com/thebridge.htm The Leonardo Bridge Project]
* [http://www.istanbulsweethome.com/blog/2007/07/21/the-story-of-shooting-a-video/ The Story of Shooting a Video]
{{coor title dms|41|01|45|N|28|57|40|E|region:TR_type:waterbody}}
[[Category:Landforms of Turkey]]
[[Category:Constantinople]]
[[Category:Estuaries]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek geography]]
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