17 Ağustos 2019 Cumartesi

TNT History Archives: An Embarrassment of Bridges (1903)

//Ed. Note: Dr. Şerefeddin Mağmumi's next column in this
TNT series reflects his embarrassment about the Karaköy
(better known as the Galata) Bridge at the entrance of the
Golden Horn.//

Karaköy (Galata) Bridge History click here for 
background.

karaköy bridge postcard ile ilgili görsel sonucu


I’m Thinking That...

"Türk" newspaper, 27 November 1903

Sometimes  tragedies and calamities can be a means toward 
the accomplishment of  beneficial and necessary things.  God 
willing, the accident that happened at the Karaköy Bridge in 
Istanbul can fall into this category.  

You have probably read the details in the newpapers.  Last 
week, while the bridge was open an English cargo vessel 
entering the Golden Horn hit the side of the bridge and 
caused some of the pontoons to sink, the chains to break off 
and, in short, to badly damage the bridge.  For two days the 
populace was forced to go from one bank to the other in 
rowboats.  Unfortunately, the small steamboats weren’t 
working.  

The Maritime Ministry is getting money from the vessel’s 
company for the damage incurred but what about the poor 
sailors and bargemen.  An Anatolian Turk died in the 
accident.  The poor man’s family was registered with regard 
to the incident, but more than likely delivering the 
compensation money to them will be forgotten!

karaköy köprüsü 1903 ile ilgili görsel sonucu

Now let’s talk about the bridge itself.  Oh! These Istanbul 
bridges! Whenever they’re mentioned my face turns red 
right away from embarrassment.  Both here and in Europe, 
we’ve heard the mockery and ridicule from friend and foe 
alike, which essentially amount to insults.  In order to prove 
our lack of civilization, these foul fellows point to these 
pontoon bridges.  They say “For goodness sake!  You say 
‘we’re advanced, we’re civilized, we’ve become Europeans’.   
But look at your capital city, look at these half-baked bridges.  
You’ve been living in this city for four centuries and yet you 
still haven’t properly connected Istanbul to Galata.  Whenever 
the pontoon chains are untied all hell breaks loose.  There are 
no great works left in the squares either.”

Just between us, there’s not much we can say in our defense 
because we still haven’t built a permanent bridge.  We 
installed this pontoon bridge in wartime as a temporary 
measure but it still remains.  It’s as if we’ll all get up and 
leave Istanbul tomorrow or the next day, as if we’re only here 
temporarily.  We don’t seem to want to build a solid, 
permanent bridge.  Really, we need to give this some thought.
  
Let’s take a look at other capitals in neighboring countries.  
In Paris, London and Vienna there are 8 or 10 or 20 iron 
bridges set on stone bases crossing the Seine, the Thames and 
the Danube.  People cross these bridges for free.  I have been 
to Europe and I never saw a bridge that you had to pay to 
cross.  Does one have to pay to walk a city’s street or squares? 
Of course not.  So why should a bridge have a fee?  Just like 
streets and squares, bridges facilitate the movement of the 
which is the duty of the municipality.   

But the mentality seems to be that something like a bridge 
that produces revenue must be continued in a poor country.  
But if that’s the case, then the bridge should at least be 
worthy.  In addition to sturdiness and firmness, a bridge that 
brings in between 300 and 400 liras per day should be 
decorative and elegant.  The bridge’s railing should be made 
of silver, for all the revenue it produces!  

galata bridge ile ilgili görsel sonucu
                                     The bridge today.

It’s no laughing matter that we’ve neglected gold and silver.  
A bridge like the two iron ones in London that are built on 
brick supports should have been built here long ago.  But 
even though such a bridge hasn’t been built in Istanbul we 
cannot stand by and ring our hands about it.  Now is the time 
to have it built.  The existing bridge brings gloom down 
upon the graceful beauty of Istanbul.  It is a gnarled thing, 
like a gooseneck. The shack that boats approach is an eysore 
from top to bottom, like a pimple.  We should be ashamed.  
What is it made of? Stumps placed next to each other and, 
let alone umbrellas and canes, the feet of women and 
children can even get caught in the open spaces. 

No, no!  The time has come for this monstrosity that brings 
shame upon Ottoman honor and serves as evidence of our 
lack of civilization and ability, to be removed.  The time has 
long since come for it to be replaced by a high and sturdy 
iron brigde built on brick supports for half a million liras.  
Some may say “this is a swamp, the foundation won’t hold, 
the bridge is too long.”  But let us not fool ourselves by 
saying speciously that this cannot be done.

//Ed. Note: the fourth Karaköy/Galata bridge was built
in 1912 by the German Man firm at a cost of 350,000 
liras.//

galata bridge golden horn map ile ilgili görsel sonucu
The Karaköy/Galata Bridge is at lower right, at the entrance
to the Golden Horn.


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