Where History Meets the Future

When Sultan Mehmed II was on a mission to invade Constantinople, he had noticed the power of the Genoese battleships that managed to break through the Ottoman naval blockade. Following the conquest of the city, he immediately ordered the construction of a similar ship for himself. The initial ship was built in Sarayburnu, but the launching of it was a total failure. Thereafter, it was decided that the ships would be launched into the waters of the Golden Horn - a perfect natural harbor and the Sultan's favorite spot in the city. Thus, in 1461, with only a few shipbuilding benches, the foundations of Tersane-i Amire were laid on the ruins of a former Byzantine shipyard in the Golden Horn.

In the days of the galleys, the Ottoman Empire was a state that successfully built its own ships. Even after the campaigns that resulted in a completely burnt down fleet, the Navy could rebuild its fleet at Tersane-i Amire within a year or two.

Keeping pace with the technological advances in the maritime industry, Tersane-i Amire has gone through various stages of modernization, advancing from wooden-hulled galleys, which formed the backbone of the Navy to the galleon-style vessels that were used as main battleships until the mid-19th century. From the 19th century onwards, ships began to be built from iron and steel. Sails were also replaced with steam engines and paddles with propellers.

In order to keep up with all these technological leaps in the global shipbuilding industry and to improve the calibre of the Navy to that of the world's greatest states, Tersane-i Amire experienced significant transformations and consultants from Europe were brought in to the shipyard. Particularly during the reign of Sultan Selim III (1789 - 1807), the shipyard was almost completely entrusted to the Western experts.

Sultan Selim III also added three new slipways Taş Kızak, Ağaç Kızak and the Valide Slipway to the shipyard. The latter was intended for building and maintaining steam-powered vessels.

In the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz (1861 - 1876), the shipyard was made capable of building steam-powered ships and it gained a completely different appearance with the construction of huge factory buildings, new slipways and pools.

After the occupation of Istanbul in 1918, Tersane-i Amire was moved to Gölcük. Following the Straits Convention in 1941, the shipyard returned back to the Golden Horn, where it belonged, but was mainly used for routine maintenance or repairs during the Republican period.

In 1995, with the industrial buildings and complexes in the city centers undergoing adaptive reuse across the world, Tersane-i Amire was declared a conservation site.

Today, the shipyard is preparing to write a new chapter in its story with a bold, new vision. As Tersane Istanbul, it is transforming into a forward-facing, dynamic new downtown of Istanbul with its 1.8 kilometer long coastline and 27 historic buildings hosting areas for accommodation, residences, arts and culture, gastronomy, retail, and more.

Rising on the largest industrial heritage site in Türkiye, Tersane Istanbul is a bridge from the past to the future. Hidden away in anonymity for centuries with the perimeter walls built around it, the historic shipyard opens a window to an unparalleled view of Istanbul framed by the city's iconic landmarks; from Hagia Sophia to Balat, from Süleymaniye Mosque to Fatih Mosque, from the Greek Patriarchate of Fener to the Iron Church, all backdropped by the magnificent Golden Horn skyline.