41,363 ships traversed Bosphorus last year

ISTANBUL

A total of 41,363 vessels passed through the megacity of Istanbul’s iconic Bosphorus Strait last year, according to official data from the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry.

Between January and December, some 15,490 general cargo ships, 8,777 bulk carriers, 6,233 tankers of unspecified type, 3,533 container ships and 2,910 tankers carrying chemical cargo traveled through Bosphorus.

The landmark strait also hosted 44 ferries and 756 passenger ships during this 12-month period. It also saw some 468 cattle ships, 32 warships, 7 refrigerated ships and 300 tugboats traveling through.

During this period, the entire weight of ships utilizing the Bosphorus, including all of the cargo on board, was around 639.7 gross tons.

Ships passing through the Bosphorus hauled the greatest cargo in April, totaling 56.6 gross tons. The Bosphorus witnessed the transportation of the least cargo in December, with ships totaling 48.7 gross tons traveling through the strait during that time.