What would you say if we told you that ferries (car ferries) were first discovered by the Turks? Moreover, the interesting story of the first ferryboats built in the Ottoman period and sailing in the blue for years has something to do with Namık Kemal!
given two different female names “Suhulet” and “Sahilbent”, They have served in our seas for many years. In fact, they didn’t just serve; Suhulet played a role in the Battle of Çanakkale!
If you are ready, the world’s first ferries “How have I not heard of such a thing before?” Let’s take a look at their stories together.
When the boats in Istanbul were insufficient, a new solution was sought.
Hüseyin Haki Efendi, one of the founding partners of Company-i Hayriye (a ferry company engaged in passenger and freight transportation in the Bosphorus), is also one of the founding partners. He was the ship manager.
At that time, the boats in Istanbul were not sufficient for transportation. Thus, the first steps were taken to establish the Company-i Hayriye and ferries that will be the first in the world started to be designed.
The first foundations of today’s car ferries were laid.
Mehmet Usta and Hüseyin Haki Efendi, the chief architects of the Hasköy factory, give your head they started to think.
“Let this ship we design be something like that; Vehicles, deck ramps so you can get on the ferry. Let there be entrances and exits from both sides so that the vehicles can continue to go in the same direction and reach the land. Moreover, the entire deck can be filled with vehicles” they said. Based on this idea, the first steps of today’s car ferries were taken.
The pictures of the ship were drawn in Istanbul, and the construction was started by sending it to England, the country with the most developed shipyards of the time.
The result was the “Suhulet”, the first car ferry in history, the construction of which was completed in 1871. As you know, the ships put female names common tradition. Suhulet was named after the poet of the country, Namık Kemal. This name meant “ease, delicacy, softness”.
Suhulet, 45.7 meters long and 8.5 meters wide, weighed 157 tons. It had a draft of up to 3 meters and was powered by a side wheel turned by its 450 horsepower machine. 7 miles per hour speed he could.
Suhulet with chimney number 26 made its first voyage between Üsküdar and Kabataş in 1872.
After the first car ferry, Suhulet, came the second one. Of course, a name was needed again and Namık Kemal went again. The poet of the homeland, the name of this ferry “connecting two shores” He put it “Sahilbent” which means.
Suhulet was decommissioned in 1952. Until that time, between the Sirkeci-Harem piers for 87 years. numerous passengers and vehicles carried service. Sahilbent continued to serve a little more after Suhulet and made its last voyage in 1958.
Their names are not mentioned in history, but Suhulet played a role in the victory of the Dardanelles War.
Suhulet also took part in the Dardanelles War, where every tactic, movement and time was very important. It will be able to pass the Dardanelles in 4 days. Artillery battalion with 4 batteries It took 2.5 hours. He did not receive a medal after the war, but successfully carried the medalists.
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