Why is Tünel still important?

Tünel is a crucial part of transportation in downtown Istanbul, and it also connects to the Galata Bridge (Galata Köprüsü). The lower station is located at the Karaköy side of the Galata Bridge and conveniently takes you up a steep hill to Beyoğlu, ending at the famous 1.5 km İstiklal pedestrian street (İstiklal Caddesi). The key factor in Tünel’s importance is the “steep hill.”

I also frequently use Tünel when visiting downtown. Normally, I travel up the hill on Tünel and walk back down to the Galata Bridge through charming little streets. On these streets, you’ll find many small shops, restaurants, and hotels. And if you’re interested, you can visit the historic Galata Tower on your way. The tower is now also a museum.

If your path doesn’t take you near Galata Tower this time, I’m pleased to tell you that you can read about this iconic symbol of Istanbul in my next post.

What is Tünel?

Tünel (F2 line, Tarihi Tünel Füniküler Hattı) is the world’s second-oldest urban railway which is fully underground, after the London Underground (1863). Tünel consists of a single tunnel, lined with bricks, and stretches 554.8 meters. There is one station at each end.

In fact, Tünel is technically a rubber-tyred funicular line. There is a significant height difference between the two stations, with the upper station being 61.55 meters above the lower one.

1. Karaköy – lower station

The Karaköy station is located at the eastern end of Tersane Street (Tersane Caddesi), near the Galata Bridge.

The Tünel subway runs at a maximum speed of 22 km/h and can carry 170 passengers at a time. A one-way trip takes about 1.5 minutes, and the usual waiting time is around four minutes. There are two Tünel trains, and they run continuously every day from 7 AM to 10:45 PM.

If you’re wondering how two trains can run on a single track, this will be explained in the next video. In the middle of the tunnel, the track briefly splits into two, allowing the trains to pass each other.

2. Tünel – upper station

The upper Tünel station is located at Tünel Square (Tünel Meydanı) in Beyoğlu, at the southern end of İstiklal pedestrian street.

History

In the second half of the 19th century, the districts of Pera (now Beyoğlu) and Galata (now Karaköy) became the economic and commercial heart of Constantinople (Istanbul) and the Ottoman Empire.

Many Ottoman and foreign companies, mostly banks and insurance firms, established their headquarters in these two districts. Foreign embassies, hotels, and commercial businesses were located atop the hill in Pera, while the stock exchange, banks, and ports were located down below in Galata.

Traveling between these two areas was challenging due to the particularly steep hill. Yet, despite this, each day, an average of 40,000 people walked up and down the Yüksek Kaldırım Street (Yüksek Kaldırım Caddesi) connecting the two districts.

In 1867, French engineer Eugène-Henri Gavand visited Istanbul (then Constantinople) as a tourist. During his visit, he was amazed by the number of people struggling up and down the Yüksek Kaldırım Street. Gavand came up with the idea to build a funicular railway that would ascend and descend the hill.

After many stages of development, the unique Tünel subway was inaugurated on January 17, 1875. It still serves both locals and tourists today, captivating everyone with its historical charm.

İstiklal Street and more history…

When you step out of the modest upper Tünel station doorway onto the famous İstiklal pedestrian street, you can embark on new historical adventures. The charming Taksim-Tünel tram (T2 line, Taksim-Tünel Nostaljik Tramvay Hattı) takes you along İstiklal Street all the way to Taksim Square…