When we first heard about it, we were quite surprised. After a bit of research, we came across these names: Suhulet and Sahilbent, the world’s first car ferries. Let’s talk about the story of these ferries.
In the past, Şirket-i Hayriye, a company that provided passenger transportation on both sides of Istanbul and was later acquired by the government in 1945 and transferred to Şehir Hatları, had its first ferry made in England by John Robert White. It was a side-wheel and wooden ferry designed for passenger transportation and was named Rumeli.
Later on, although many ferries were built, there was a need for a different type of sea transport to carry horses, cars, or military supplies between the two shores of the Bosphorus. In 1869, Hüseyin Haki Efendi, who took over the company, prepared draft drawings for a car ferry to meet this need. These drawings were the first designs of today’s ferries.
Once the project was drawn, it was sent to England, which had the most advanced shipyards of the time. The ferry started production there and set sail towards Istanbul in 1871. After a long journey, it was completed in 1872 and put into service under the name “Suhulet,” meaning “Ease.” During this time, it was observed that it significantly contributed to transportation on both sides of the Bosphorus, and another ferry was ordered. The name of this ferry was “Sahilbent,” meaning “Connecting the Shores.”
While most of the ferries other than Suhulet and Sahilbent were withdrawn from service for various reasons, these two ferries served Istanbul for many years. Additionally, during the Gallipoli Campaign, Suhulet actively participated in transporting artillery units and earned the title of “Veteran.” Similarly, during World War I, Sahilbent, another car ferry, made significant contributions to the Ottoman Empire by transporting soldiers and military supplies between the shores of the Bosphorus.
After more than 80 years of serving the people of Istanbul, Suhulet was taken out of service in 1958, and Sahilbent followed suit a year later. The current ferries named Suhulet and Sahilbent are named in honor of these two veteran ferries.