Which bridge in Istanbul was the first fixed crossing built over the Bosphorus?
Answer
15 July Martyrs Bridge
The 15 July Martyrs Bridge was the first fixed crossing built over the Bosphorus in Istanbul.
The suspension bridge opened in 1973, linking Ortaköy on the European side with Beylerbeyi on the Asian side. It created Istanbul’s first permanent road connection across the strait, replacing reliance on ferries for cross-Bosphorus travel.
It was originally called the Bosphorus Bridge and was renamed the 15 July Martyrs Bridge in 2016 to commemorate people killed opposing the attempted coup in Turkey that year. Istanbul later gained two more major Bosphorus road bridges: Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge.