Sunday, June 13, 2010

Linked By Train and Ferryboat

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"The power of human imagination is the most successful transportation company in the world." by Roger Fournier



Otto Ritter and Helmut Conu. Two German architects.


oveall view, the south side

Choose a neo-renaissance style. Constructed in 1906. Beyond the Bosphorus Bridge, on the Asian side.



In 1872, the area was first used as a train station. Because of the traffic increased and line extended, it was needed to build up a larger building, today's terminal
. Put into service on Aug 19, 1908.


the north side

Surrounded by water on three sides. So best seen can be done from the sea by taking a boat to cross the Bosphorus. I was on a boat going to the European side from Kadiköy pier. You can take off the boat, and take a train from terminal. It is home for all trains regional, domestic, international running to east and south bound destinations. In the last years of Ottoman Empire, this major terminal would be the starting point in a railline connecting Istanbul to Baghdad and Istanbul to Mecca, the holy city destination of annual hajj pilgrimage.


the west side

German and Italian stone masons crafted the façade embellishments of the terminal, so beautiful than you can see in my photos! Pls click the pictures for larger ones.


night view, the west side

To me, Haydarpaşa Train Terminal is one of the most beautiful exercises in human imagination! Without imagination and ideas, human societies would not have evolved to their present states. People have from generation to generation gradually created their cultures that make it possible to learn these extremely powerful thoughts of the great minds -like Otto and Helmut- of the past by reading their stories and seeing their awesome objet d'art. I love to travel in my imagination anywhere the story takes me no matter where or when...

Endless thanks to the German engineers and craftsmen worked at the construction for one of the most beautiful iconic statues in the city and established a small German neighbourhood in my living quarter, Kadiköy:)


7 comments:

  1. A very interesting post.

    «Louis» likes your comment at his Sunday Bridges post. He thanks you for that!

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  2. Really a nice and grandiose building, I like so much the night view too.
    I'm glad you are back to normal navigation: surely, there is nothing better than freedom, and the Internet must be freedom for the people all over the world.
    Happy new week, Nihal :-)

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  3. What a wonderful piece of architecture. I don't think it could be replaced in this day and age.

    Thanks for the history.

    Darla

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  4. Beautiful building with fine details!

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  5. Amazing architecture, fun to learn history through blogging, thank you.

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  6. Much traffic on the roads of Turin too; even more in Rome and Naples, I should say. The best way to take photos is to walk, but towns are very big and of course it's impossible to make a complete photo-taking tour on foot. Your project about painting the electricity boxes in my town is very thrilling, but I really don't know if there are so many boxes here: I think I've never seen one of them in the town center, I'll look carefully in the next days.
    Thanks to you for your kind comments, Nihal, also your questions about Turin or about Italy are always welcome :-)
    Have a pleasant evening :-)

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  7. The first thought was "it looks Dutch" but now I see it's German style, nice shots

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