The magnificent Istanbul is a coastal city, as the Bosphorus Strait that separates the metropolis into two parts flows between the Black and the Marmara Seas. It is not surprising that many aspects of the citizens' lives are related to the water element: Istanbul has a lot of fishermen, and it is often easiest to get to different parts of the metropolis by ferry. Today, I invite you to take a virtual tour with me of one of the Istanbul's aquariums, to get a closer look at the amazing inhabitants of Turkey's underwater world.
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How to get to the aquarium
The attraction is in the Aqua Florya shopping center in the western part of the city. A few hundred meters from the entrance to the shopping center is the exit from the Marmaray station. The stop is called Florya Akvaryum, and the travel time from the city center is about half an hour.
The cost of an adult admission ticket in the summer of 2023 is 500 Turkish lira.
A walk through Istanbul Akvaryum
The official website of the attraction states that Istanbul Akvaryum is the largest themed aquarium in the world. This is likely due to the division of the territory into 17 themed zones, each dedicated to a different region of the planet. Here, visitors can encounter inhabitants of the Black Sea as well as those of the tropical forests of the Amazon.
The walking route through the aquarium is 1200 meters long. Over the course of the walk, guests can see 17,000 marine creatures that live in 66 huge aquariums. According to the organizers, rare species of fish are also on display, such as the lemon shark.
The aquarium's walking areas vary widely: some contain open aquariums, others have huge tanks that resemble movie screens, and still others have special glassed-in openings where anyone can look at the panorama of the amazing marine world. Like many other aquariums, there are also large underwater tunnels with transparent walls.
At the end of the journey, visitors pass through a room with lively and adorable penguins before entering a real tropical kingdom with waterfalls and huge green plants.
After visiting the aquarium, guests can stroll through the shopping center or stop by the food court on the top floor of the building. In the warm months, visitors can also reach the nearby city beach, which I will write about in one of my upcoming articles.
Have a nice trip!
