Karaköy (Tünel)
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Karaköy is a station on the historic
Tünel The Tünel (, designated as the F2 line on the Istanbul transport map) is a historic, underground, rubber-tyred funicular line in Istanbul, Turkey. It has two stations, connecting Karaköy and Beyoğlu. The tunnel runs uphill from near the con ...
funicular railway A funicular ( ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ends ...
in
BeyoÄŸlu BeyoÄŸlu (; ) is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 9 km2, and its population is 225,920 (2022). It is on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, separated from the o ...
,
Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
. Located on Tersane Avenue, just north of the
Golden Horn The Golden Horn ( or ) is a major urban waterway and the primary inlet of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey. As a natural estuary that connects with the Bosphorus Strait at the point where the strait meets the Sea of Marmara, the waters of the ...
, it is the southern and lower terminus of the railway. The station is located on the ground floor of the IETT General Headquarters Building.


Overview

Karaköy station is located at Tersane Avenue No:9 and is on the ground floor of the IETT General Headquarters Building. The entrance to the station is located on the southeast corner of the building, while the exit is located on the west side of the building. The station is at-grade at the base of Galata Hill. The tunnel begins at the northern end of the platforms, as the track heads straight into the hill and up to Beyoğlu. Like its counterpart station,
BeyoÄŸlu BeyoÄŸlu (; ) is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 9 km2, and its population is 225,920 (2022). It is on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, separated from the o ...
, the
Spanish solution In railway and rapid transit parlance, the Spanish solution is a station layout with two railway platforms, one on each side of the track, which allows for separate platforms for boarding and alighting. The "Spanish solution" is used in several ...
is used at Karaköy, as the east platform is for boarding passengers and the west platform is for exiting passengers. The station is integrated within the citywide smartcard system,
Istanbulkart Istanbulkart is a contactless smart card for fare payment on public transport in Istanbul, Turkey. It was introduced on March 23, 2009 in addition to the Akbil, an integrated electronic ticket system which was eventually phased out in 2015. The ...
, and turnstiles are located at the station's entrance. Connection to the T1 line of the
Istanbul Tram The Istanbul Tram () is a modern tram system on the European side of Istanbul. The first section, the T1 (Istanbul Tram), T1 opened in 1992, followed by the T2, which opened in 2006. In 2011, the T1 and T2 merged, with the line retaining the T1 ...
to KabataÅŸ or
BaÄŸcılar BaÄŸcılar is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 23 km2, and its population is 740,069 (2022). It is located on the East Thrace, European side of Istanbul, near the ...
is available along with ferry service from the two piers in Karaköy. Municipal ferries, operated by
Şehir Hatları Ferries in Istanbul are a Public transport in Istanbul, mode of public transportation within and surrounding the city of Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey. There are three major ferry operators in the city: the municipally owned Şehir Hatları ("City Li ...
, depart from
Karaköy Pier Karaköy Pier () is a ferry landing on the Golden Horn in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. Located along Rıhtım Avenue, just east of the Galata Bridge, Şehir Hatları operates many ferries from Karaköy to Kadıköy, Bostancı, Üsküdar and to piers along ...
located east of Karaköy station, on Rıhtım Avenue. Private ferries, operated by Turyol, depart from Turyol's Karaköy Pier located one block south of Karaköy station. Connection to several
IETT The Istanbul Electricity, Tram and Tunnel Establishments () or İETT is the transportation authority in Istanbul connected to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality specializing in public transportation. History After nationalizing various c ...
city bus lines on Kemeraltı Avenue is also available.


History

Karaköy station, along with Beyoğlu station, is one of the oldest subterranean urban railway stations in the world. Construction began in the summer of 1871 and was completed in 1874, along with the rest of the railway line. Karaköy station officially opened, along with Tünel, on 17 January 1875 as ''Galata station''. The station was originally built with two tracks and two
side platforms A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a railway platform, platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or bus rapid transit, transitway. A st ...
and was powered by a steam engine. The station building was a two-story structure, built mostly from wood. On 25 August 1875, the cable carrying the northbound train snapped towards near Beyoğlu and the car began to plunge backward toward Karaköy. A major accident was averted as the driver was able to hit the emergency brakes and stop the train just short of Karaköy station. Karaköy station, along with the railway, was nationalized and bought by
IETT The Istanbul Electricity, Tram and Tunnel Establishments () or İETT is the transportation authority in Istanbul connected to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality specializing in public transportation. History After nationalizing various c ...
in 1939, which continued to operate the railway. Karaköy station temporarily closed down in 1968 for IETT to modernize and electrify the railway. Since the steam engine was replaced by an electric engine, the wooden Karaköy station building needed to be replaced. The station was modernized and rebuilt into a stone structure and officially reopened on 2 November 1971. In 1981, the construction of the IETT General Headquarters Building began and was completed in 1983. This 7-story building was built on top of Karaköy station. Connection to Istanbul's modern tram network became available in 2005, when the T1 line was extended from
Eminönü Eminönü, historically known as Pérama, is a predominantly commercial waterfront area of Istanbul within the Fatih district near the confluence of the Golden Horn with the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait and the Sea of Marmara. It is l ...
to Karaköy.


Nearby places of interest

*
Galata Bridge The Galata Bridge (, ) is a bridge that spans the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey. From the end of the 19th century in particular, the bridge has featured in Turkish literature, theater, poetry and novels. The current Galata Bridge is just the la ...
- The oldest bridge across the
Golden Horn The Golden Horn ( or ) is a major urban waterway and the primary inlet of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey. As a natural estuary that connects with the Bosphorus Strait at the point where the strait meets the Sea of Marmara, the waters of the ...
. * Bankalar Avenue - The financial center of the Ottoman Empire.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karakoy (Tunel) Railway stations in Istanbul Province BeyoÄŸlu Funicular railways in Turkey Railway stations in Turkey opened in 1875 Railway stations in Turkey opened in 1971