A photograph from the time when the Denizyolları warehouses on Reşadiye Street had not yet been demolished and incorporated into the waterfront… For now, the steamships are departing from the jetties extending from the bridge. They also occasionally dock at the makeshift berthing areas set up in front of the warehouses. The relatively small vessel—one of the so-called “village-class” boats built in 1951–52—with a bow post shaped like a bow and a partially wooden captain’s cabin, is docked at the old “No. 1” pontoon pier closest to us on the bridge… It is one of three sister ships—Istinye, Yeniköy, or Beylerbeyi. They can carry a maximum of 789 passengers. They are frequently deployed on Bosphorus crossings.
The tram with a trailer on the bridge is one of the trams coming from Ortaköy or Beşiktaş. This is because, after crossing the Bridge, the trams that climb the Voyvoda-Okçumusa hill in Karaköy to reach Şişhane—and from there continue on to Taksim and beyond—cannot have cars attached due to the steepness of the hill. Each vehicle operates as a single motor car. However, on routes heading toward Dolmabahçe, Beşiktaş, and Ortaköy—which maintain a consistent elevation along the way—there is a tradition of attaching a car to the rear. For the Bebek trams, which are located at the farthest end of this route and consequently carry more passengers, two additional cars are attached, and they operate as three-car trains. If you see a three-car tram in old photographs of Istanbul, you can be sure it is one of Bebek’s “22” line trams.
The black smoke billowing from the funnel of the passenger ferry in the open waters is bent into an L-shape by the strong wind and drifting toward Çengelköy. From this, we can tell that a strong southerly wind—strong enough to bend the smoke—is blowing that day… The kind that’s enough to make your head spin and give you a headache. You won’t get through it without dissolving an aspirin tablet in water and drinking it. If its intensity increases even slightly, white foam will begin to form on the sea’s surface shortly thereafter. For now, it’s still just pushing the limits of a force three gale. But the ferries have already begun to sway gently from side to side, like a swing…
Judging by the coats and overcoats, we’re at some point either at the beginning or the end of winter. But the sky is clear, with almost no clouds. The southerly wind must have blown them away. The outlines of the shadows are sharp and distinct. The sun is probably providing that typical winter warmth at that hour. Come to think of it, speaking of time, it’s past three in the afternoon. The length and direction of the shadows are exactly as they should be at this hour, and they’ve now turned toward the Tophane area… In the hours before noon, the shadows in Eminönü turn toward the Fermeneciler-Azabkapı-Kasımpaşa areas. Within the frame, we’re witnessing the moments of transition—from Eminönü’s famous hustle and bustle to the evening crowds…