Swimming between two continents is growing in popularity in Turkey
Beach on the Asian side of Istanbul.
AFP
Retired Turkish man Metin Cakmakci rushes every morning to put his towel on one of the lounge chairs under a canopy to shield him from the scorching sun, before people sweep his "beach" on the Asian side of Istanbul.
In fact, the 74-year-old sun-kissed man spends the summer on this Kadikoy beach, 25 minutes from his apartment.
Pointing to the crystal clear waters opposite the Princes' Islands, he says: "A sea like this for a giant city like Istanbul is okay."
At first glance, the huge historical city of Istanbul, with a population of more than 16 million, does not seem like a coastal resort, located between two seas and two continents, that offers swimming enthusiasts a unique advantage, but swimming in it is available to those wishing throughout the summer, as is the case in New York, Beirut and a number of capitals.
“In the past, access to sea water was available everywhere, but since then, the city has expanded urbanly, and the coasts have changed, so people are crowding on the beaches,” says Jackmackje.
In this regard, the Istanbul municipality initiated the deployment of sunbeds to its beach, according to what is in charge of maintenance, Sezgin Kocak, who spent his childhood on this sand, and notes that the demand for it is increasing this year, due to the severe economic crisis in Turkey, where inflation approaches 80 %.
"A lot of people can no longer get out of Istanbul," Canan Jevan explains.
"Even if I had the financial means, I wouldn't go anywhere else. Instead of spending 10 days on vacation, I prefer to come here every day for three months."
Lovers of swimming in the waters of the Bosphorus do not give up this place, including Eren Tor and his companions who meet every morning in Bebek, a region on the European bank.
The 64-year-old retired swims "all the days of the year, even in winter, even under the snow," he says as he browses through photos on his smartphone.
Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news