AN EXPERIENCE OF MORE THAN ONE AND A HALF CENTURY: SEHIR HATLARI

 

Sehir Hatlari Management represents an experience of approximately 160 years since the middle of 19. century, until now. It can be said that this experience fed on three individual establishments up to mid 1940’s. It is possible to put this forward based on the fact that passenger transportation with ferries at Istanbul’s Bosphorus, Marmara and Golden Horn lines was carried out by separate establishments until mid 1940’s from the middle period of 19. century.

 

Considering the historical courses of these establishment it will be seen that in 1844 the Civil List Ferry Management subject to Admiralty laid the foundations of Marmara line by starting to manage ferries between  Sirkeci – Adalar, Sirkeci – Pendik, Sirkeci – Yesilkoy in Istanbul in addition to Istanbul, Izmit, Gemlik and Tekirdag quays.

 

This establishment was turned into Fevaid-i Osmaniye Administration in 1862,  Idare-i Aziziye Administration in 1871, Idare-i Mahsusa in 1878 and  Ottoman Navigation Administration in 1910. Under the roofs of mentioned administration, AKAY Administration was founded in 1933, who carried out activities at Adalar, Anatolian Side quays and Yalova line, in other words Marmara line. And this administration was turned into Sehir Hatlari Management within the body of State Maritime Lines Management General Directorate in 1937.

 

After transferring all rights of Halic Vapurlari Sirketi (Golden Horn Ferries Company) established at Golden Horn line where ferries served since 1858, in 1841; and Sirket-i Hayriye that is founded in 1851 to manage ferries on Bosphorus line, in 1945; to Sehir Hatlari by expropriation, the ferry transportation of Istanbul was gathered under one roof. Sehir Hatlari Administration that assumed ferry transportation of Bosphorus, Marmara and Goldenhorn lines on its own since 1945 continued its activities being subject to Maritime Bank founded in 1952, then Turkey Maritime Institution founded in 1983 and then Turkey Maritime Organization General Directorate founded in 1948.

 

Transfer of Sehir Hatlari to IDO in March 2005 was the beginning of a new era in Sehir Hatlari. 5 new passenger ferries whose design was selected by referendum of the people of Istanbul, and 3 new Goldenhorn ferries with panoramic viewpoint were built and began to serve. In the same period, old generation passenger ferries and ferry quays with historical value and importance were renovated and some quays were built again.

 

In September, 2010 Istanbul Sehir Hatlari Turizm ve Tic. San. AS. was founded; Sehir Hatlari ferries and quays were transferred to new company.