What are the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus?
Turkish Straits
The Turkish Straits (Turkish: Türk Boğazları) are two internationally significant waterways in northwestern Turkey. The straits create a series of international passages that connect the Aegean and Mediterranean seas to the Black Sea. They consist of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus.
Why did Russia want control of the straits of Bosporus and Dardanelles?
Seeking to protect itself against attack from the south, Russia, after defeating the Turks in 1833, exacted from them an agreement to close the straits to warships of non-Black Sea powers at Russia’s request (the Treaty of Hünkâr İskelesi). …
Why are the Dardanelles and the Bosporus so important?
The waters are rich in various kinds of fish that migrate between the Black and Aegean seas via the Bosporus strait, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles. The strait has always been of great strategic and economic importance as the gateway to Istanbul and the Black Sea from the Mediterranean.
Why did Russia want the Dardanelles?
Dardanelles Campaign: Background The stakes for both sides were high: British control over the strait would mean a direct line to the Russian navy in the Black Sea, enabling the supply of munitions to Russian forces in the east and facilitating cooperation between the two sides.
Why is the Dardanelles strait important?
The Dardanelles is the narrow strait that lies between the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara. The Dardanelles have always been of great strategic importance because they link the Black Sea with the Mediterranean Sea and provide the only seaward access to the ancient city of Constantinople (Istanbul).
Why was the Bosporus so important to the Byzantine Empire?
Boğaziçi (Bosporus I) Bridge, Istanbul. Because of the strait’s strategic importance for the defense of Constantinople (Istanbul), straddling the southern end of the strait, the Byzantine emperors and later the Ottoman sultans constructed fortifications along its shores, especially on the European side.
Who was Bosporus?
Bosporus, also spelled Bosphorus, Turkish İstanbul Boğazı or Karadenız Boğazı, strait (boğaz, “throat”) uniting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara and separating parts of Asian Turkey (Anatolia) from European Turkey.