A new ship that will cruise the Bosporus free of charge was launched on Wednesday from Üsküdar.
The 54-meter Valide Sultan, designed by Istanbul's Üsküdar Municipality, began its free service that is available for all locals and tourists.
Starting from Üsküdar, the route of the Üsküdar Valide Sultan includes the Dolmabahçe coastline, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, the Anatolian Fortress and Çengelköy.
During the launching ceremony for the ship, Üsküdar Mayor Hilmi Türkmen said: "All citizens will experience the beautiful view of the Bosporus with this ship. Everyone should visit and see this beauty. Our facility can be used as a wedding hall and a culture center along with a place for graduation programs."
The ship started its use exclusively for cruise tours along the Bosporus in October 2015. It works with a capacity of 40 tons of fuel and has a range of 12.4 nautical miles.
There are also separate prayer rooms for Muslim men and women on the ship, which has a capacity for 600 passengers.
The ship will have two tours a day with the guides. During the culture tours, which will be held every day for free, history writer and program speaker Talha Uğurluel acts as the guide.
On the ship, with its large windows overlooking the sea, there will be a small fee for those who want to organize events such as weddings, graduations, business dinners and school events.
